Chapter Text
The Weight Of Unfinished Business
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June
Elena Reinhart sat in her usual spot on the couch, the sun-drenched lounge glowing warmly around her. The soft sunlight casting an almost etheral light on the walls of the Gaunt mansion.
At twenty years old, Elena had grown into a confident, capable woman, one who had found her place in the world after years of turmoil. Her life had taken on a quiet rhythm—a life of luxury, success, and love.
Her gaze lingered over the newspaper's article on wedding dresses she had been leafing through for the past hour. Each page was filled with carefully written notes, ideas for the upcoming wedding with her fiancé, Ominis Gaunt.
She hadn't imagined herself getting married so soon—let alone to Ominis—wealthy, kind, and a constant source of support. They had become more than just partners, they were best friends. The thought of a passionate, whirlwind romance had long since been discarded from her heart.
She had made peace with that.
True love, she'd decided, wasn't for her.
She had loved once, deeply, and it had broken her beyond repair. She had no desire to feel that pain again. Ominis, on the other hand, was her anchor. He made her laugh, comforted her in her moments of doubt, and gave her the stability she so desperately needed after the chaos of her teenage years.
She didn't need anything more than that, and was happy with him.
She smiled faintly as she flipped through the pages, imagining the day ahead—flowers, vows, celebrations. It was a dream in its own right. It was a life she had built from the ashes of the past, and she was content with it. The mansion—one of the many properties now at her disposal as Ominis's fiancée, was beautiful. It had been in the Gaunt family for generations, steeped in history and power, but now, it felt like home.
The soft sound of footsteps behind her broke the calm. Elena didn't need to look to know it was Ominis. His presence was a comfort, a constant in her life, even though his blindness meant he relied on his other senses to guide him.
"You're still in here?" Ominis's voice, warm and teasing, echoed softly in the room.
He was always the one to poke fun at her tendency to overthink, especially when it came to their wedding. Elena smiled, glancing up to see him standing in the doorway, a soft smirk on his lips. His light hair was combed thoroughly, as it always was.
He walked over to her, his wand out to guide him, and before she could speak, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Still looking at dresses, I see?" he asked, his fingers brushing through her hair as he leaned in closer.
She chuckled softly. "I know it's a bit early, but I want everything to be perfect. It's our day, after all."
Ominis sat down beside her, his arm casually draping over her shoulder as they looked at the page together. He had been patient with her, always understanding her desire to get everything right, and it made her love him all the more.
"You know, I thought about what you said—about the dress. The one you really wanted," he said with a grin. "I'll make sure it happens. Nothing's too much for you."
Elena smiled at his words, grateful for his support. Her life felt like it was finally falling into place. She had her work as an Auror, her duty to the Ministry, which she found fulfilling, and now a future with a man who loved her deeply.
But as her fingers turned the page in the newspaper—the mood in the room shifted. The next page contained an article she hadn't expected to see. Her eyes skimmed the headline:
Sebastian Sallow, Notorious Fugitive, Escapes Azkaban.
Elena's breath caught in her throat, her hand trembling as she gripped the page tighter. Her eyes flitted over the text, the details of his escape, the description of his strange behavior, the mention of his green eyes burning with an intensity that could only be described as madness.
Sebastian.
Her world—which had been perfectly calm moments before, tilted sideways. The room seemed to spin around her, the weight of the past crashing back down. Her breath became shallow, heart pounding in her chest. She felt as though she were drowning in a sea of emotions she had thought long buried.
How could he have escaped?
The confusion mingling with a rising fear. The journal slipped from her fingers as her vision blurred. She didn't know what was happening to her. Her body felt weak, as though the years of suppressed emotions—the grief, the love, the betrayal—had finally caught up with her. Before she could register what was happening, the world around her darkened, and she collapsed against the coffe table. The last thing she heard was Ominis's panicked voice calling her name, the sound distant and muffled.
__________________________
Fifth year
The Slytherin common room felt imposing, its entrance buried deep within the dungeons of Hogwarts. Descending into the dimly lit corridors seemed almost excessive, but fate had placed her in Slytherin, and there was no changing that now.
"Alright, this is where you head down. I'll meet you back upstairs for dinner—unless you've made some new friends by then," said Adaline, Elena's younger sister, flashing a confident grin.
It still felt odd, being guided through the castle by her little sister. But unlike Elena, who had only recentlyreceived her letter—after years of believing she had no magical abilities—Adaline had started at Hogwarts as a first-year, just like any other young witch. Their mother was a Muggle, their father a wizard, so Elena's fate had been uncertain for years.
"Alright, Addie. See you later," Elena said with a small wave.
Then, taking a deep breath, she turned and made her way down into the dungeon, where her new house—and a whole new world—awaited. As Elena approached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, a nagging question lingered in her mind, why had she been sorted here? Her father had been a Gryffindor, her sister a Hufflepuff. There was no clear family resemblance, no obvious reason she belonged in the house known for its cunning and ambition.
The stone entrance creaked open, revealing a space unlike any she had ever stepped into. The air was thick with quiet authority, the kind that didn't need to announce itself. Green and silver banners lined the dark stone walls. Conversations hummed in soft murmurs, students scattered across the room in small, exclusive clusters. There was an unmistakable coolness here, not unkind but measured—like everyone was already taking notes on who she was before she even spoke a word.
Elena hesitated. Where did she even begin? If she wanted to fit in, she had to introduce herself, but to whom?
Her gaze drifted toward the fireplace, where a lone figure paced, immersed in a book. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and though his frame was lean, he carried himself with an effortless confidence. Something about him seemed distant, unreadable, as if he existed in his own world, untouched by the quiet clamor of the common room.
He hadn't noticed her yet, so she took a deep breath and approached him.
When she was within a few feet, he looked up from the book, raising an eyebrow as if surprised by her approach. His eyes were dark, keen, assessing her in a way that made Elena feel both intrigued and a little uncomfortable.
"Can I help you?" His voice was steady, with a hint of curiosity. As she stood there, unsure of what to say, something flickered in his eyes. He lowered his book and set it down on the mantle beside the fire. "Ah, you're the new fifth year," he said, his tone suddenly warmer. "I'm Sebastian Sallow. Welcome to Slytherin."
"Thank you," she replied, smiling slightly, but there was something about the way he spoke that made her wonder what he truly thought of her.
He tilted his head and looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "So, what's your name?"
"Elena Reinhart," she said, offering a polite smile. "But everyone calls me Elle."
Sebastian smirked, his lips curling into a teasing smile. "Very well then, Elle. Not everyone has a Ministry escort to school," he added, his voice dripping with light sarcasm.
Elena raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "He was a friend of Professor Fig. He merely joined us for the ride."
Sebastian's expression softened, a small smile still playing on his lips. "Ah, I see. A friend of Fig's. Not bad company to have, I'd say."
The conversation lingered for a moment in an easy silence, before Elena couldn't help but glance at the book Sebastian had been reading. "What are you reading?" she asked.
"A spellbook I picked up," he said, his eyes momentarily flickering to the pages. "Has a few interesting things, but not exactly what I was looking for. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, but not every spell you may need can be found in our... assigned textbooks."
Her interest piqued, Elena nodded slowly, absorbing the quiet undercurrent of his words. She continued to ask him questions, and they chatted briefly.
After a while, Sebastian ended the conversation. "But that's a conversation for another time." he finished. He picked his book back up, but this time there was something different in his demeanor—almost like he was reluctantly finishing up their chat, as if their conversation had come to its natural end. "Seems I may have met a kindred spirit," he added with a soft chuckle.
Elena smiled, a small, quiet acknowledgment of the strange connection they seemed to have formed in such a short time. "It was good meeting you, Sebastian."
He nodded, his tone a little more casual now. "Good luck today, Elle. And welcome once more."
Elena turned to walk away, her heart unexpectedly fluttering in her chest. He was kind, a bit strange and secretive, but kind nonetheless. She couldn't deny that there was something about him that intrigued her, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet. As she walked away, her gaze drifted toward the large window where a group of students had gathered, gazing outside, searching for mermaids in the lake.
Next to the window stood another student, a boy who appeared to be lost in thought as he listened to the chatter around him. Feeling an urge to meet more people, Elena approached him, this time without hesitation.
He turned to her with a smile that was warm, but not overly familiar. "Ah, based on all the chatter when you entered the common room, I'm assuming you're the new fifth year," he said. "I'm Ominis, Ominis Gaunt."
Elena offered him a smile, but quickly realized the glistering in his eyes, and him not meeting her gaze. "Nice to meet you, Ominis."
"Well, you certainly had a memorable arrival," he said with a chuckle. "Slytherins don't usually get so much attention."
Elena laughed softly, a hint of relief in her voice. "I didn't exactly plan for it, but it's good to know that my entrance made an impression." They chatted for a while, Ominis asking her about her previous school and life in general, and Elena learning a bit more about him. Despite his lineage, Ominis had a surprising warmth to him that made her feel at ease. He wasn't as sarcastic or intense as Sebastian, but there was a quiet strength in his presence. "Thank you, Ominis," she said with a smile as their conversation drew to a close. "It was very nice to meet you."
"Pleasure's all mine," he said. "Don't be a stranger."
Elena nodded, smiling softly before walking away, taking in the familiar but still new atmosphere of the Slytherin common room.
She wasn't sure what had drawn her to both Sebastian and Ominis, but something told her that their paths would cross again in ways she hadn't yet imagined.
And boy was she right.
__________________________
Elena's eyes fluttered open, her head spinning as if the world were tilted sideways. The familiar warmth of her living room was replaced by a dull, fuzzy haze, and for a moment, she couldn't make sense of where she was. Slowly, the edges of reality sharpened, and she realized she was lying on the floor, propped up by the cool wood beneath her.
A soft breeze brushed her face, and she blinked against it, her vision blurry.
Her gaze settled on Ominis, his face hovering above hers, worry etched across his features as he gently fanned her, the motion of the cloth brushing over her forehead.
"Elena, honey, are you okay?" His voice was quiet but filled with urgency.
Her heart thudded in her chest, and her breath caught. She tried to sit up, but the sudden motion made her head swim even more. "I... I'm fine," she murmured, her voice thick as she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her disorientation. "I don't know what happened."
Ominis didn't look convinced. He leaned back a little, still holding the fan, and studied her with a concerned frown. His hands were steady, but his eyes were filled with a rare concern that she didn't see often.
"Elena, you fainted," he said gently, as if trying to make light of the situation, but his worry was evident in his tone. "Just breathe, okay?"
She nodded quickly, trying to shake off the dizziness. The last thing she remembered was the newspaper—the headline, the article, the picture of him.
Sebastian.
She hadn't thought about him in years, not really, not since her seventh year at Hogwarts. Her chest tightened at the thought. Seeing his name again, after all this time, after all the things that had happened... it was too much.
It was like a jolt to her entire system.
The article had mentioned his escape from Azkaban—his escape, and how he was being described as "almost feral." Feral. Was he... was he really like that now? Had Azkaban broken him? Had the darkness there changed him so much that he was no longer the Sebastian she had known? The Sebastian who had once shared secrets with her in whispered conversations, who had laughed and made her feel alive in a way no one else ever had? Her breath caught in her throat as memories of him flooded back—his sharp wit, his smiles, his quiet moments. Had it all been erased? Was he a shell of the person he once was?
The thought twisted in her stomach, making her feel hollow. The confusion swirled around her mind as she tried to piece everything together.
Ominis' voice broke through her thoughts. "I'm going to get you some water," he said, his tone soft but insistent. "Just stay here, alright?"
Elena nodded absently, her mind miles away, already lost in the chaos of thoughts. Ominis stood up, leaving her alone with her swirling confusion. She stayed still on the floor, her body a heavy weight as she tried to make sense of everything.
The silence in the room felt suffocating, and her gaze wandered to the side table. The newspaper lay there, the front page staring back at her, the moving image of Sebastian still locked in her mind. She could see him clearly now—his face skeletal, his eyes wild, his hands gripping the bars of his cell in a desperate, frantic rage. Screaming.
Her chest tightened at the sight. It was him, but it wasn't him. The boy she had known, the boy who had been full of fire and passion, had somehow become this. Had the pain of Azkaban truly stripped him of everything? Her fingers twitched, but she remained where she was, her eyes locked on the picture. She could still hear his voice in her memory—soft, teasing, with an edge of bitterness that had always been there.
What had happened to him? What had they done to him?
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by Ominis returning with a glass of water. He knelt beside her, his eyes still full of concern, but there was a hint of determination in his gaze too, as if he were silently telling her that everything would be alright. He handed her the glass, his fingers brushing against hers, warm and steady.
"Here, drink this. You'll feel better," Ominis said softly.
Elena took the glass with trembling hands, her fingers shaking slightly as she brought it to her lips. She drank slowly, the cool water soothing her dry throat, but it did little to quell the chaos inside her head. She could still feel the weight of Sebastian's presence, even now, even in his absence. It was as if he were here, just out of reach, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. Was he truly lost?
After a long pause, Elena placed the glass down on the table, her eyes meeting Ominis' steady gaze. She didn't know what to say, but the silence between them seemed to stretch on, thick with unspoken words. Ominis was waiting for her to speak, but she wasn't ready. She didn't know how to explain it, how to explain the turmoil bubbling inside her. How could she tell him that the person she had once loved deeply, who had once been so close to her, had become this broken thing, trapped in a cell, a shadow of what he once was? How could she explain the guilt she felt. She knew Ominis was probably confused too, Sebastian had been his best friend, but... She didn't know how to talk to him about it, if she even wanted to.
As the silence stretched between them, Ominis remained kneeling beside Elena, his hand still resting gently on her shoulder. She could feel his steady presence, his warmth, but his quiet waiting was a reminder that he wasn't going to let her get away with not answering him for long.
"What happened, Elena?" Ominis finally asked, his voice low, yet gentle. Being blind, he hadn't seen the newspaper; he hadn't seen the picture of Sebastian, or the words that had made her faint. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to... but I can tell something's bothering you."
Elena hesitated. She could feel his concern, the way his presence had shifted, as if he were trying to gauge what was going on in her mind without being able to see the full picture. She didn't know if she wanted to tell him. She wasn't even sure if she was ready to face it herself. But Ominis was waiting. She could hear it in his tone—he wasn't going to push her, but he wanted to understand.
After a long pause, Elena exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She opened her mouth, but the words didn't come right away. Finally, she spoke, her voice attempting to sound casual, though it faltered slightly. "The paper... it said Sebastian had escaped from Azkaban."
She didn't say more, and the words hung in the air like a weight between them.
Ominis didn't speak immediately.
She could hear the subtle shift of his posture as he processed what she had said, his brow furrowing slightly, no doubt reflecting the confusion and concern she felt inside. Neither of them spoke for a long moment. The silence felt heavy, almost suffocating, as both of them tried to come to terms with what she had just shared. It was as if the very mention of Sebastian's name—his escape, his presence in her life once again—had fractured something between them.
Elena glanced down at her hands, and she could feel Ominis' attention still trained on her. He didn't ask any more questions. He didn't press her for details. He was waiting for her to say what she needed to say. But she didn't know how to explain the weight that had just dropped back into her life, uninvited.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Elena looked back up at him, her voice softer now, but still carrying the heavy burden of the truth.
"I'm fine, Ominis. Really." She wasn't sure if she believed it herself, but she had to say it. For his sake, and for hers. She didn't want to dive deeper into this.
Not now. Not yet.
But Ominis didn't seem convinced. He tilted his head slightly, sensing the lie in her words, but he didn't push. Instead, he simply nodded, though his expression remained tight with concern.
"I'm here if you need to talk," he said quietly. There was no reproach in his tone, just a calm understanding that whatever Elena was going through, he would be there for her.
Elena nodded, offering a weak smile. "Thanks, Ominis. I just... need a bit of time."
The room fell silent again, the only sound the distant hum of the world outside. Elena leaned back against the couch, her eyes unfocused as she stared ahead. She was trying so hard to push the flood of thoughts about Sebastian aside. But it wasn't easy. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was that picture of him, his face twisted in agony, his body caught in a cage of his own making. Her mind raced as she replayed the news in her head, the fragments of information, the image of his face.
What had happened to him in Azkaban? What had he become? And how had he escaped?
She tried to focus on the present, on Ominis, on their life together—the wedding plans, the future they were building. But the more she tried to bury her thoughts about Sebastian, the more they surfaced, and with each passing minute, the weight grew heavier.
Ominis sat next to her now, not pressing her for more but offering his quiet company, his presence like a steady anchor. After a few moments, he spoke again, his voice a little more relaxed, though still laced with concern. "We'll figure it out, Elena. Together."
She nodded again, though she wasn't sure how to make sense of it all. She wasn't sure if she could just let it go. Her heart had already been tangled in Sebastian's fate—she could feel it in every corner of her thoughts.
But for now, all she could do was breathe, and try to return to something that felt like normal.