Chapter Text
Tiny light particles fell through the window, fading before they landed on the window sill. The illusion behind the single window flickered with sunlight and specks.
Paper slips floated in the air and roamed over their designated places on the walls. Every now and then the paper shifted towards another set of pages on the board, cross referencing between images. Stacks of folders shuffled into alphabetical order on top of the desk opposite of the MC.
Silence was usually welcomed in this office. But the atmosphere was too quiet. Not even the heavy rain outside of the building could be heard within the still room. Too quiet, it was almost suffocating. No one would suspect that the shared Auror’s office was being used in such a rainy morning.
The old wooden door burst open without warning as a tall silhouette entered the room. The silent spell was at last broken. A pale hand caught the door before it slammed against the busy wall. The pages that floated near the door moments ago shook from their reverie before dipping down towards the floor.
Ominis stood at the door, his grip on the door handle tight. His cheeks were flushed but the rest of his face was pale. The pocket watch still swung from the silver chain against his dark vest, but as the seconds passed it came to a stop. Besides the few windswept strands of his hair, he looked pristine and formal as always. His gray long sleeve button shirt that he wore that morning made his eyes look even more blue. His sleeves were not rolled up, he must have arrived to Ministry not so long ago. It would not surprise her if he had run straight to her office as soon as he was informed about the recent course of events.
“MC?” His voice was quiet and hesitant.
The growing pile of folders continued to move, not pausing while the air in the office filled with expected tension.
MC’s gaze moved away from Ominis with a quiet sigh. Her jaw was set in place, her expression hard. She had been sitting in her chair and gazing out the window for the past hour. Her shoulders were stiff and her hands were placed over her knees, knuckles white. She was struggling to handle the sickness that threatened to escape her stomach. She had kept the nausea and bile down all morning. She was unable to decide whether going home was the best decision due to the current circumstances.
The once irresolvable guilt creeped out from one of the deepest parts of her head. It cast a shows over her brain. A blanket over her chest as she struggled to breathe normally. The guilt came accompanied, anxiety.
It had been merely the second hour of her work day when she was summoned to the head of the department’s office. Her supervisor came by the office to deliver the message at 8am in the morning. His expression was grave as he handed her a written request without an explanation. Being summoned would not have been so nerve racking if it weren’t for the multiple gazes that met her on her way upstairs. Their once friendly expressions were nowhere to be found, only hesitation and caution.
Her mind did not do well remembering much of what occurred inside of that room to her dismay. Not only had she been questioned about her whereabouts the past 24 hours and asked to repeat them twice with intense detail, but she had to hand over her wand. After what felt like hours, she watched as a quill listed down the last spells she had used.
The 3 familiar faces she usually worked with on the daily basis stood across from her with serious and unreadable expressions. Two older Aurors Robert Fawley and Stephen McNulty sat across, their stances contradicting each other. Robert sat with his hands over the desk, his expression stern as he watched her without blinking. In contrast, Stephen’s coat rested behind his chair and his shoulders were slack. It did not escape MC’s notice as their eyes flickered towards her during every question, watching her expressions carefully. The younger of the 3 was standing with his arms crossed, Jude Layton. He could not quite meet her eyes.
“MC, we will tell you the reason for this-” Stephen’s hand gestured towards her before continuing. “After your cooperation, it is only fair that we fill you in with the events that occurred in the early morning.”
Robert’s expression did not change much after the interrogation. As she expected, his tone was sharp and straight to the point as he started talking.
“On Sunday October 3rd at 4:18am, exactly 4 hours and 36 minutes ago, Sebastian Sallow has escaped Azkaban. We will spare you the details since we do not have reliable facts to provide at the moment.”
Silence. The only thing that she could hear was the loud heart beat echoing through her head.
Not even the quill scratched across the parchment in that frozen moment. Her head pounded, her throat became very dry, her palms became cold as the seconds passed. She did not even bother to respond to their words, and merely gazed at them with perplexity. Her genuine reaction seemed to ease the Aurors across from her. Stephen leaned across the table and spoke as soon as she exhaled.
“We believe that he might attempt to reach out to his former friends from Hogwarts. We will be making our rounds and stopping by to check with all his past acquaintances this week.” Then hesitation. “We will not be including you for the search, L/N,” Stephen added, his expression somewhat sympathetic.
MC nodded once, processing the words slowly. She was unable to even think properly, let alone respond with her usual fervor as the men continued to speak more openly.
“There were a couple of muggles found confounded and left unconscious in the outskirts. We have reason to believe that Sallow might have acquired a wand. We are not entirely certain by what means, but we have a lead. An older witch has been attacked an hour after he escaped this morning. Her home had been searched and ransacked. A neighbor reported it as soon as the sun rose,” Stephen added.
“You mean to say that-” MC’s voice could not hide the shock. “Sebastian..”
She could not finish her sentence. She could not successfully put her thoughts into words at that exact moment. She could not even grasp one single thought from the infinite things that ran rampant in her head. She could not even finish wondering about how he had even managed to escape before Robert spoke.
“Sebastian Sallow is a wanted man. The Ministry will be seeking him out for arrest, rest assured. Anyone known to aide or be in correspondence with the fugitive will be punished severely.”
The last part of Robert’s sentence hung in the air, making it heavier to breathe. Robert’s eyes pieced into her own, searching for something in her gaze that would reveal her true intentions.
But MC was not able to give anything as her eyes set on the feathered quill behind his shoulder.
A couple of months ago, Sebastian’s parole had been denied. As a matter of fact, this was the second time it had been denied. It has been 8 years since he had been sent to Azkaban.
As much as she believed that she once knew him, she could not think of the reason on why he decided to escape now. The worst part was, the chances of him returning and being given the opportunity to start a new life.. These did not exist anymore. Hell, something beyond redemption was now waiting for him. Sebastian was going to face something much much worse if he was captured.
From the information they had provided, there was the possibility that someone was helping him. MC could not think of anyone besides herself, or Ominis, to even attempt to help him. Even if a whole life time passed since they were all attending Hogwarts, she somewhat understood why she would be high on that suspect list. And it seemed that the Ministry were well aware of this.
Once the Aurors felt satisfied with her answers, they carried on with explaining about what would occur for the time being. Stephen would reach out in the future if they feel the need to question her again. Then the 2 Aurors across from her shifted in their positions and looked to their right, the atmosphere turned uncomfortable and awkward. A third voice spoke, one much more monotone and unreadable. MC had almost forgotten that Jude Layton was in the room as well. And what he had to say left her feeling hurt and numb.
She had been relieved from her current assignments and investigations. She would be moved on to other temporary assignments in the meantime. Tasks that did not require the abilities and skills of an Auror.
MC had not even attempted to hide her hurt and frustration from the men in front of her. No words of comfort and support could change her foul mood. And the 3 Aurors knew that as she left their office in icy silence. She made her way back to her isolated office while she came to terms with her current position. The only hidden explanation was that she was probably being removed from her position all together until the department decided she was not compromised.
This lead to an overwhelming amount of overthinking the past hour. That was until Ominis had broken the chain.
“Good morning Ominis,” she told him. Her tone was nothing close to good, and it sounded bitter to even mention that word. She knew that starting a conversation about Sebastian this early in the morning could not be avoided.
“I just left Fawley’s office. Is is true that you have been removed from your duties?” Ominis questioned, he sounded frustrated. “I cannot believe they would go this far. Even if this is only temporary, we do not have the numbers.”
MC’s eyes moved over Ominis as she registered what he had said. Of course they would not give Ominis Gaunt the same treatment. Ominis had been the one to turn in Sebastian, she reminded herself.
“You heard correctly,” she replied painfully as she grinned her teeth. “You should try to see if they let you pick up the Leland assignment. The timing for that is too crucial to leave unattended.”
MC’s eyes gazed over the neat desk across from her own. The empty desk belonged to another Auror, a couple of years older than her. He had gotten into a horrible accident 2 nights prior. He had helped her with the tedious assignment right before he was hospitalized.
“They should relieve me from my position as well,” his tone turned bitter.
Ominis turned his head away from her and listened to the ongoing piles of paper continue to grow.
MC let a soft exhale before getting up from her chair. Her back ached from how long she had sat looking at nothing for the past hour. She flexed her fingers as she grabbed hold of the petticoat from the coat hanger. She folded the coat over her arm and turned to face Ominis.
She gazed at him, unable to find other words to tell him. She knew that the Ministry had every reason to question her, but it hurt her pride. To be held under a different light and have all trust removed this easily..
“It has been 8 years,” she whispered without much hesitation. She regretted the words as soon as she had muttered them. The discomfort of visiting such a sensitive topic surrounded by Ministry walls was too evident.
“Yes, it has,” Ominis responded quietly.
She sighed and looked over the desk for anything she was forgetting. She took a step in Ominis’ direction needing some air. “I would not stick around if I were you,” she told him. “Misfortune spreads around here like fiendfyre.”
Ominis cleared his throat with a scoff. He hated knowing that their precautions with her had been completely different. She had already been handling so much as of late, but this was just disrespectful. He was unable to side with the department’s logic and reason. He heard the woman in front of him come closer.
“Will I see you later?” Ominis asked finally. From the way he stood with his hand still on the door handle, he did not move away. His mouth was set in a firm line. She knew he would not leave easily. There was too much to talk about once they were away from these walls.
“Yes,” she responded, sounding defeated. She knew that she would not be able to avoid him that night. As much as she wanted to be left alone to sort out the many things that continued to swell in her brain, she had to prepare for the worst. “I will see you tonight.”
Ominis gave a nod, his eyes not changing from their initial worry. He stepped away from the door to let her pass. As she got closer, she could see his expression more clearly.
He was not wearing the face of worry because of Sebastian Sallow. He was worried about you.
Her arm brushed past him briefly and she chastised herself mentally.
Ominis closed the office door behind him. They both parted from each other’s company without another word. In these kind of circumstances, there were not many words that could provide reassurance or comfort. It was not every day where a prisoner escaped Azkaban. And it was not every day that you heard the name Sebastian Sallow.
The rest the workday passed without a second of peace. Sebastian Sallow’s face was plastered all over the public and communal areas of the Ministry. Once she had returned to her office, she was unable to focus for the rest of her shift. The folders on the empty desk continued to fall into neat piles, waiting to be picked up by the courier. The folders contained material for the new trainees, temporary hires, and eager interns for the current season.
By the time MC was leaving the Ministry, it was pouring and cold. A harsh storm was taking over the city of London. She walked through the rain, her wand providing cover as she ducked under the closest shade. Her eyes found what she had been looking for at the end of the wet street. MC pulled her coat around her higher and crossed the empty street. The ruthless wind pushed against her coat as her boots continued over the cobbled street.
MC reached the corner cafe and put away her wand. She started outside and leaned against the dry brick wall. With gloved hands, she unfolded the newspaper that she had kept under her arm. She did not have to hope for much, she found Sebastian’s picture on the first page. Her eyes moved over his face, studying the way he looked at her with those dark haunted eyes.
… *… * …
MC opened the door, already expecting to see a dry and neat Ominis Gaunt.
She welcomed him in and closed the old wooden door. Ominis pulled off his coat and hung it by the door as MC brought the teapot to the small dining table.
“I hope you were not bored to death today. What do they have you doing by the way?” Ominis asked as he came to sit across from you. His chair scraped the floor. MC raised her brow as she sat down as well.
“Nothing that my adrenaline loving and violent nature can’t handle,” she tried not to sound so morbid. But mentioning violence in such a sarcastic tone made Ominis chuckle.
She poured him a cup of tea and passed it towards him. Ominis reached out with his long fingers and felt around the cup. The familiar handle brought a smile to his lips. He brought the teacup to his lips slowly, savoring the taste of home. Ominis always looked forward to being invited for tea, it reminded him of a better time when he did not feel so lonely.
Of course he could always buy the same brand of tea, but then it would not taste the same.
Ominins only focused on the state of the Auror department and recounted things he observed that day. It had been one of the most chaotic days in the past couple of months, something MC did not have the chance of witnessing for herself. He mentioned how everything was bound to come crashing down in a disaster. There were rumors that the Ministry would once again mass hire a lot of new workers. Petty types of crime occurred all day long and they could not seem to acknowledge every single report on time. The sooner the department rearranged their priorities, the sooner things could somehow seem manageable again.
MC sipped her tea as she listened to him continue to talk. Ominis was clearly stressed and anxious. He never talked this much and it made her wish that he did not lose any sleep in the coming days. He always been a deep sleeper.
“I reckon they will probably have everyone questioned by tomorrow. Imagine Leander Prewett waking up the middle of the night to see Ministry officials at his door step,” Ominis told her with a small smile.
“You just reminded me,” MC got up from her chair and walked towards the counter.
MC moved through the kitchen, remembering what she had intended to do earlier that day.
“I should write to Anne. She should be aware,” she said out loud. MC had a quill in hand and was in the process of reaching out for a piece of parchment.
“Don’t worry, I already sent her an owl,” Ominis tells her.
His words interrupted her thoughts. With a sudden pause, MC’s grip tightened for a moment. She heard the quill scratch down against the table. She let go of the quill, letting it land back on the over crowded desk. She did not turn to towards Ominis and busied herself with closing one of the many opened inkwells. On top of how distressed she already felt, she now started to feel unsettled. She should have known that Ominis would have already reached out to Anne. Considering the many owls they probably send each other on the daily.
“Of course,” she breathed with a small laugh. The sound did not quite reach her eyes.
“Does it bother you?” Ominis asked.
MC turned towards Ominis at last. His eyes were directed towards her, paying close attention. She swallowed slowly, the room suddenly became tense. The deeper meaning to his words stung. His eyes were set on her, almost as if he knew what expression was on her face. Ominis always knew.
“There is no reason for that to bother me,” she answered at last.
Ominis nodded before muttering good. His eyes were suddenly upset, but he did not mention another word on the matter. He almost wanted her to admit that she was bothered and that she missed him. MC did not continue on the topic either so they stayed where they were in silence.
Eventually Ominis promised to stay in touch and drew his coat tight around himself. He reminded her to take time off if she did not want to work on the limitless petty tasks. The tall man left her apartment, leaving a melancholic and depressive mood.
There was a reason why MC had tried to keep a respectable distance from Ominis.
The past year had been confusing and awkward between the two. A complete imbalance had taken over their close friendship. Or what anyone would call a natural relationship.
They had gone from avoiding each other after their 5th year during Hogwarts. Then they became acquaintances and then close friends by their 7th. Their friendship remained platonic for majority of the past couple of years. That was until quite recently.
Ominis had moved in with MC for a couple of months. He had undergone quite a lot when he finally broke away from his family’s influence and control. The relationship Ominis had with his family only continued to grow estranged after he was accepted into the Minstry’s Auror Department. The years that followed became strenuous, with the constant negativity and continued abuse. Ominis had moved out of his parent’s home all together and cut ties with them completely. Mc had offered to share her home as soon as he had told her of his plans.
He had only been her roommate for 2 months, but it was enough to bring the two only closer. They had become familiar with each other’s presence and lifestyles. While he liked to have his tea at the brink of dawn, MC refused to eat anything until she was sitting in her office. Ominis always made sure his clothes were pristine and ironed. He styled his hair every morning to its usual neatness and elegance, there were no excuses. MC did the bare minimum with washing her face and brushing her hair. She only put in more effort once she noticed she was looking a little bit too sleep deprived. Ominis could sleep through the loudest and rowdy crowds walking through the streets at night, while MC struggled with the lightest sound passing outside of her window. While they were so different, they both learned to wait and depend on the other. Whether it was their daily commute to work every day or their scheduled Friday evenings at the closest pub, they enjoyed each other’s company. They had fallen into a pattern quite easily. When she would get back to the apartment before his shift ended, she made sure to make enough dinner for the both of them. She would even warm it up regardless of how late he got back. When he kept her waiting, he would pick up groceries or a bottle of gin.
To her luck, the landlord refused to raise rent for those months. The older man did not even question the young man’s relation to the young witch. He had been more relieved about having 2 Aurors as tenants in the midst of all the recent break ins. At the present, the landlord still asked about Ominins every now and then. He even offered to reserve a room for him if he ever needed it in the future.
Ominis eventually moved into his own apartment in another part of London. When he moved away, that was when he realized he missed her. But miss her in a different way. Eventually, they started to demonstrate a little more than just friendship toward the other. Ominis no longer picked up groceries for her, but flowers whenever they met for dinner. They had gotten as far as holding hands. The dinners, flowers, and small notes only went on for 4 months.
It was short lived. Because one day, Anne had confessed to MC that she had feelings for Ominis. This happened almost 10 months ago.
The longer MC thought about it, she was not sure if what she had with Ominis was even considered love. MC found herself comparing the relationship with those she had in the past. It was easier to think that they had gotten comfortable around each other. They were both quite alone and found brief comfort in each other’s company. Maybe if it had gone on for a bit longer, her thoughts on the matter would be completely different.
MC found herself feeling exhausted being around Anne. Her weekend visits eventually became monthly visits. Irrational guilt was something that she long carried since Hogwarts. And it constantly showed its ugly head. Especially during situations like the one she found herself in. MC could not bear to break Anne’s heart.
Not when she had been given a chance to start living her life and start planning for the future.
Anne was in a much better place in her life now. Where she once believed there was no point thinking of goals or ambitions, she was now looking forward to what awaited her.
She was doing her best to pick up where she last left off before the curse took over her life.
MC had paused the curse indefinitely and even managed to move the progress back to relieve her symptoms. This had proven to be sufficient. The results had given everyone hope once again. Hope, something that Anne had not seen since Sebastian was still young at Hogwarts.
All MC had to do was find a way to remove the curse. And this felt more possible than ever.
She felt responsible for curing Anne and she would not stop her search. Her ambition and rare magic had brought good things at last. And in a way, she was not only doing this for Anne. Deep down, she knew why she never stopped.
When Anne expressed how she had been wanting to ask Ominis to dinner, wondering whether he would accept out of obligation, questioning whether she should be straight forward, it had left MC feeling like she had wronged her. Anne was asking for advice on from the friend she considered close as a sister.
Just hearing Anne admit her feelings for their long time friend.. It had been enough for MC to write to Ominis and stop whatever was growing between them.
To her knowledge, not much had occurred between Ominis and Anne the past couple of months. MC refused to believe that she was the reason why Ominis and Anne would not proceed with forming their relationship.
She could deal with the guilt that came with burying the truth from Anne. She could handle the downside of breaking up with Ominis and leaving things be. Moments like these made MC extremely aware of how self centered and selfish she could be. But when it came to Anne and Ominis. They were the exception.
To her expectations, Ominis had accepted her decision. If there was anyone that would understand her actions, it was Ominis. Anne would never find out about her temporary relationship with Ominis, not through her at least.