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There’s something about autumn that Astra has always liked. She couldn’t quite decide if it was all the colours of the trees, the frequent rain, or the faster approaching dark, but it all felt rather cosy to her. Indeed, sitting inside on a terrible day with a mug full of hot cocoa or tea with a good book was probably one of Astra’s favourite pastimes. Especially when the wind blew the rain hard enough for it to smatter against the glass panes of the windows.
That’s to say though, she liked rain of all kinds. She had fond memories of dancing in the warm summer rain with her mother in the mansion garden in London. Barefoot in the grass, until they were both drenched and giggling.
But even Astra had to admit that sitting outside in the warm autumn sun was almost as lovely. She had brought some books with her too, ‘A History of British Wizarding Families’ and her potions book. She was quite fond of the subject, of the techniques. Creating potions was definitely something she could see herself doing in the future. It did help that she seemed to be rather a natural at it too. Professor Sharp had doubted her ability to catch up, but she’d noted that when she actually had managed to subvert his expectations, he had been pleasantly surprised. Then of course, he had handed out more advanced homework.
A bit further away, by the shade of a tree, Ominis is splayed out on his back, his eyes clothes and hands clasped over his stomach. He could be asleep, Merlin knows Astra had caught him napping in stranger places, but considering the loud noises of passing a quaffle between each other coming from a couple of fourth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs a bit further away, she would bet her galleons on him just relaxing. He looks peaceful though, blonde hair a bit ruffled from the surprisingly warm breeze, face relaxed in a way that make him look his actual age, not the usual tense weariness that he usually sported. Unworried and unburdened.
It’s quite nice to see him let his guard down.
“You know,” Sebastian leans in to say, his voice almost too quiet for her to hear. “The way you look at him is a little bit nauseating sometimes.”
Astra’s heart leaps in her chest. “What?”
Her friend shakes his head in amusement. “He’s blind, but I’m not. You should talk to him about it.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t the faintest clue of what you mean.” Astra lies, feeling her face heat up as she shoots Ominis another glance—just to make sure he hadn’t heard them.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, he is rather handsome.” Sebastian smirks. “If you fancy the gaunt sort.”
Oh, very funny.
“There’s—I mean… I’m not…!” Astra splutters, bringing her book up to hide behind the cover. “Stop it, Sebastian!”
Sebastian laughs so hard he starts snorting.
How did he even know? Not that there was anything to know! She didn’t look at Ominis any differently than she did all of her friends. (Right?) Even if she did, she didn’t think she was that easy to read. Oh, how embarrassing.
“What’s so funny?” Ominis voice rings out then. She peers over at him to see his eyes half opened, face turned in their direction, with the sun passing through the leaves of the tree he’s resting under, Ominis looks ethereal, like a prince out of a fantasy book. Oh Merlin, he is beautiful.
“Nothing!” Astra squawks, tearing her eyes away from him to glare at Sebastian, who still hasn’t stopped laughing.
She brings her book out to whack him on the arm, it doesn’t seem to deter him that much though. Instead it seems to make things even worse.
Ominis sighs heavily, seemingly used to his best friends antics by now. “You sound like hyena, Sebastian.”
Astra giggles at the deadpan comment, still, it doesn’t have any effect at all on Sebastian’s laughter. He wipes some tears from his eyes, and every time he meets her eyes, it’s like he’s being set off again.
When he finally does stop laughing, she’s sure that her face is completely beet red. But there’s also relief. Which… confuses her a little before she realises what it actually is. Sebastian’s reaction to Astra’s… fondness of Ominis could have had the opposite effect. That he would laugh and tease her about it—while its embarrassing—makes her feel like maybe he wouldn’t mind. Or at least Astra hopes that is what’s happening.
As if he can read her mind, Sebastian says. “It’s alright, you know?”
The breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding slowly releases from her lungs.
“In fact, I think it would be a good idea, if you decided to give it a go.”
At least he’s clever enough not to spill it out in front of Ominis, who Astra is sure is listening.
She gives him a small hesitant smile.
“Are you speaking in riddles again?” Ominis mutters, “or am I purposely being left out of a conversation?”
“Maybe.” Sebastian grins at his best friend, then stands, brushing some grass off from his cloak. “I’ll see you two later. I have…er… homework.”
Astra curses his name under her breath, glaring at him as he makes a kissy face in her direction, then pointing at Ominis. She’s very tempted to stick her tongue out at him in what would be the most childish thing she’s ever done since coming to Hogwarts, but it would probably just encourage him. It doesn’t stop her from glaring at him though, even when he keeps backing away, smirking, and giving two thumbs up.
“Homework,” Ominis says, incredulous. “I’ll eat my socks if that’s true.”
Astra sighs.
She could return to her book, sit in peaceful silence, and learn more about different Wizarding families, their crests, and all that. Or she could actually talk to Ominis. Follow Sebastian’s rather annoying advice. Astra would never admit it to his face, in fear of his ego growing bigger and having him float away, but Sebastian was rather insightful, sometimes even dreadfully wise.
Astra stuffs her books back in her bag, and wanders over to where Ominis is still splayed out on the grass, she sits down next to him. While his eyes are closed, he does turn his head slightly to follow her movements.
“Ominis? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Ominis eyes open, in the scattered light they look like a cloudy day. “Judging by your tone, I’m assuming this is something serious. What’s on your mind, Astra?”
I care about you, and if you feel the same perhaps you would like to have some butterbeer together?
Ugh, no. If she was brave enough to do that, the sorting hat would have put her in Gryffindor, not Slytherin.
She’s silent for so long that Ominis sits up next to her, he’s got grass in his hair. She smiles, that’s cute.
“Is there something wrong?” He asks hesitantly.
“No.” Astra says immediately, then bites back a sigh, no bravery today. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have a backup subject that was almost equally terrifying.
“Do you remember what Sebastian said in the scriptorium? When you opened that door by speaking Parseltongue?”
“Yes…” Ominis goes very still. “He said… ‘Between the two of us, he’s starting to feel left out.’”
“Right.” Astra nods.
“I also remember telling you that you don’t have to divulge any secrets you don’t wish for me to know.” Ominis continues softly. “I understand the necessity of them.”
She knows that. Which is probably one of the three reasons as to why she would consider him trustworthy enough to know about it all. The other two being Ominis incredibly good morals, and his excellent judgement.
“I know.” Astra says, tearing her eyes away from him to watch the quaffle tossing further away. “I want to tell you, but I also need you to know that this secret is… dangerous.”
Ominis hums thoughtfully. “Dangerous in a sense of being confronted in the Three Broomsticks by Rookwood?”
It had been a while since that happened now—more than two months. But the rumour mill at Hogwarts still churned on. Her and Sebastian taking down a fully adult troll in Hogsmeade, then how Rookwood and Harlow had shown up to confront them in the tavern. How Sirona Ryan had stood up to them, and how the other patrons had risen to defend their proprietress.
“Yes.”
“And Sebastian knows?”
“Professor Fig does.” She says. “And… Natty suspects a little.” She had been very careful when it came to telling anyone else. As she had told Ominis, it really was a dangerous secret.
“Ah, a rather exclusive club.” Ominis smiles tersely. “Very well, I accept the risks. Should you wish to tell me.”
A heavy breath slips from her, she squeezes her fingers together. “Funny, now I don’t quite know where to start.”
“The beginning is generally considered the best places for starts.” Ominis teases gently, lips curled up in mirth.
“The beginning.” Astra smiles nervously. “I suppose… When I got my letter from Professor Weasley, she mentioned in it that Fig would be tutoring me so that I could catch up to the other fifth years. Over the course of the summer he taught me things I never, in my wildest dreams thought myself capable of.”
Ominis chuckles. “Sometimes I forget that you’re so new to this, in barely five months and you show proficiency in magics it takes most people four years to master.”
She blushes at the compliment. Those traitorous words almost spilling out of her mouth. ‘It’s just beginners luck’. Astra was tired of hearing them, she worked hard to catch up with the others, was still working hard. She had aptitudes in certain areas, yes. But there were other subjects that she felt she was never going to catch up in.
“Professor Fig is an excellent teacher.” She murmurs instead. “When I got here, everyone had heard about the dragon attack, and poor Mr George Osric’s death.”
Ominis nods solemnly.
“Many people seem to think that Fig apparated us out of there, but the truth is, he didn’t. Mr Osric had gotten an owl sent by Fig’s late wife, Miriam, which had delivered a container to him. And as it turned out, there was a key in it—a portkey.”
“A portkey? Wherever to?”
“A ruin in the Scottish highlands.” Astra bites her lip. “Which lead us to a path to Gringotts.”
“The bank?” Ominis asks, bewildered. “I’m not quite sure I follow.”
“I’m explaining it rather poorly.” Astra admits. “The container could only be opened by someone of my ability. Someone who can see ancient magic.”
“Ancient magic.” Ominis repeats, almost to himself. “I’ve never…” He trails off, frowning.
“Trust me, it’s confusing us all. Those that know have been frustratingly vague. I’ve mostly used it defensively…” She murmurs, even now, on this clear day, she can feel it bubbling under her skin. Like an itch she can’t quite scratch, the need to let lose—to call lightning to her fingertips, being able to shrink giant spiders so that she could safely deal with them, moving people around without need of incantation or intricate wand movement. It felt violent and raw, most of the time she wasn’t thinking about what she was doing, she was just… reacting. Following whatever raw instinct of magic inside her.
“Those that know? I thought there were only a few that did?”
“Yes, alive.” She huffs. “But the path through Gringotts led me and Professor Fig to discover that there’s been other people that has wielded it before. There’s a chamber, under Hogwarts were the portraits of old professors are helping me. Guiding me. The reason Rookwood confronted me at the Broomsticks is because he’s working with Ranrok, and they want to… to control it… I think. But before I can learn more the portrait of Professor Rackham tells me I need to overcome these… trials. He insists that I need to do so before I learn more.”
It is incredibly frustrating to have all of this power at the tips of her fingers, yet not truly understand it.
Ominis listens, tilting his head ever so slightly towards her. His fingers digging in to the grass as she mentions the dark wizard and goblin leader. He opens his mouth, closes it again and frowns.
“So… what exactly is ancient magic?”
Astra groans into her hands. “I’m not entirely sure.”
“And these… Professors’ portraits, you said, are not forthcoming with anything?”
“The opposite. They seem determined to hinder me every time I ask them.”
“How frustrating.” There’s a sympathetic look on his face. “This magic… is it…” He hesitates, clearly unsure what to say.
Maybe he’s afraid of insulting her. Or maybe, considering that his own abilities are often related to dark wizards, he’s drawing similarities. Astra couldn’t fault him for it, Ominis was devastatingly good at charms and harmless jinxes, but he hesitated when it came to hexes and curses. And Astra didn’t need to be a Ravenclaw to figure out why. Their classmates were always whispering, and sometimes outright staring at him.
She’d even heard them talk about how they wouldn’t want to face him in a training duel in Defence Against the Dark Arts, simply because they were afraid he would curse them.
A ridiculous notion of course, and if anyone bothered to talk to him they would quickly realise that too. Then again, Ominis wasn’t exactly a people person. Friendly enough, sure, like when he had introduced himself in the Slytherin common rooms. But she wasn’t sure if she would have interacted much with him if it wasn’t for Sebastian.
A shame really, Ominis was clever, and funny in his sarcasm. Not to mention how much he cared, it was one of the reasons why she found him so… enticing.
“I’ve seen memories of Professor Rackham casting.” She says quietly, turning back to the subject at hand. “Creating magnificent rooms out of nothing. Stopping a draught by bringing water to a dying village. I can feel it in the walls of Hogwarts, like the stone itself hums with a long forgotten tune.”
“Creation magic.” Ominis breathes. “Fascinating.”
“But…” Astra hesitates. “I’ve also seen it used to take someone’s pain.”
He blinks, brow furrowed in confusion. “Take someone’s pain? What do you mean?”
“A student at Hogwarts, starting at fifth year like myself. She… her father lost his youngest son, and she took his pain away.”
She hadn’t even told Sebastian about this. Not because of wanting to keep it from him necessarily, but because of the reactions she had seen in the memory. Shock, trepidation, distaste. Astra knew that there was more to this tale, she wasn’t stupid, and judging by Rackham and his colleagues reactions, what Isadora Morganach had done wasn’t without consequence.
Before she did anything to help Anne, Astra had to know the truth. She couldn’t risk causing more harm to the other girl.
Ominis seems as conflicted as she feels about the revelation.
“I’m not sure if taking something away from someone is a good thing.” He admits. “Even something as difficult as pain.”
Astra nods, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. The warmth of the late autumn day seems suddenly a bit colder.
“That’s the inclination I’m getting from the Keepers too.”
He shifts, resting his arms on his knees, leaning forward slightly to brush his fingers through the grass. "So, to summarize. You can see and control ancient magic, which you don't really know what it is. You're being hunted by Ranrok and Rookwood, and the people helping you have you running... trials?"
Astra hums in confirmation.
"Right, and these trials are...? Specifically I mean."
"Mostly I'm just smashing up animated statues, moving platforms around and getting a lesson in morality from a pensive at the end."
Ominis looks incredulous for a second. Aghast even, like the entire notion is absurd.
Astra can't blame him, that's precisely how she felt most of the time.
"... I'm not quite sure what to say."
The tone of his voice makes her hide a giggle behind her hand.
"I suppose that explains why you're rarely around." He muses, shaking his head. "These portrait professors of yours have you running ragged."
“Partially them yes,” Astra groans, stretching a little. “But Professor Weasley also has all the other...er... alive, professors giving me extra assignments, to catch up.”
“It sounds rather overwhelming.”
“Sometimes…" She hesitates, then. "Most of the time. Five months ago I had no clue that magic even existed, and now I’m figuring out a type of ancient magic that only I can see, while being chased by a homicidal goblin and a dark wizard.”
It sounds absurd saying it out loud.
“And on top of that I’m worried about my O.W.Ls.” She laments dramatically, trying to lighten the mood.
Ominis hums thoughtfully. “I’m glad you told me. It never bodes well to carry a heavy burden alone, I would know. And… you do know that if you ever need my help, you have but to ask?”
Out of the corner of her eyes Astra sees him lean a bit closer, just enough for their shoulders to touch. A warm, nervous but surprisingly pleasant feeling runs through her like a shiver. She presses gently back into the gesture. Her heart doing flip in her chest when she sees Ominis’ lips curve in a small delighted smile.
“I know.” Astra keeps her eyes on him, heart thudding a little faster in her chest. “Thank you, Ominis.”