Secrets of Mr. Sallow

28. 7th and final year

Y/N
It had been a few months since you and Ominis talked in the Undercroft. In those few months, Christmas break had come and gone, leaving the school year to begin again.

During Christmas, you planned to stay at Hogwarts, maybe explore the surrounding regions. But, Garreth made it very clear that you would be travelling home with him, which you were happy to accept. Garreth and his family were very welcoming, all of them excited to meet you, considering Garreth had written letters to them about you.

For Christmas, you had gifted Garreth a vial of Acromantula Venom for potion making, knowing that it would be extremely expensive and quite difficult to find. Gathering the venom was easy, considering you had unfortunately encountered and defeated two Acromantulas and the Absconder during your 5th year at Hogwarts. You were surprised by the jumper Garreth had asked his mother to knit for you. It was special for you, considering Garreth had used the Enchanted Loom in the Room of Requirement to add special traits to it, meaning it could keep you warm and help during battles - if necessary.

You had kept in contact with Ominis, wishing him a Merry Christmas, knowing that he and Sebastian would've most likely remained in the castle. You had gifted Ominis with a new quill that you had charmed with unique abilities. The quill was charmed so that all Ominis had to do was think of what he wanted to write, and the quill would move in his hand on its own, no adjustments necessary. The quill would also allow Ominis to read whatever was in front of him, simply by hovering the feather of the quill above the object and moving it left to right - like you'd read a book. He wrote back to you 3 days after Christmas Day had passed, expressing his gratitude for such a unique and thoughtful gift, explaining that maybe school work would be easier now that the teachers didn't have to produce his work in braille.

On the last day of Christmas break, you and Garreth just sat in front of the fireplace in his family home. You ate sweets and drank lots of different drinks. You laughed when he got some cream on his nose. Neither of you could believe that you were going into your 7th - and final - year of Hogwarts. Even though you had only been at the school for the past 2 years, you listened to and enjoyed Garreth's stories from when he first came to Hogwarts.

"What do you plan on doing once we graduate?" You asked, watching as Garreth exhaled, taking a moment to think about his answer.

"I'd either become a teacher of Potions at Hogwarts or open my own potions shop." Garreth smiled.

"You're definitely skilled enough to rival J. Pippin's Potions." You smiled.

"Why thank you, Y/N." Garreth kissed you, before pulling away.

"What about you?" Garreth asked, exhaling.

"I'd like to try and become an Auror. The idea of hunting down and capturing Dark Wizards sounds really fulfilling. It also wouldn't be so shocking if I became an Auror, considering the amount of bandit camps I took down, as well as the types of Ashwinders and Poachers I defeated." You explained, watching as Garreth nodded, agreeing with you.

———
(First Day Of 7th Year)

Hogwarts had never felt so alive. You followed all the other 7th years into the Great Hall, ready for Headmaster Black to give his 'First Day Of School' speech.

You had been so occupied with seeing Natty and Poppy again that you had completely forgotten about the two Slytherin boys who sat two tables across from you. Actually, you had remembered Ominis, who sent you a letter two days ago asking if you could hang out once school started back up again. It was his brunette friend you had forgotten about. You and Garreth had such a lovely Christmas together that you had completely forgotten about Sebastian.

That was, until every single student stood up and made their way toward their first classes. Unfortunately, you and Sebastian shared all of your classes, meaning it would be extra hard to avoid him this year.

The first class of the day was Apparition class, although it technically was a short class, considering it was a 12-week course that started when the school year started. It was also the only class that costed 12 galleons to take. You figured - since becoming an Auror was of interest to you - learning how to apparate would be a valuable skill, although, once you graduated Hogwarts, you'd be required to get a licence in order to apparate. Garreth on the other hand was heading to his first class of the day, Alchemy class. That meant that you gave him a chaste kiss before walking your separate ways.

You met up with Natty, who was also in your Apparition class, while Poppy headed off to Herbology.

As you both walked to Apparition class, you noticed the tall brunette boy walking with Ominis - who had changed a lot in the months between the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Sebastian had changed a lot, and you couldn't deny the fact that he had in fact gotten more handsome since you last saw him.

His hair was shorter than before, almost buzzed around the sides and back of his head. His haircut was similar to Ominis', except his short and fluffy side-fringe still barely covered his forehead, whereas Ominis' hair was slicked back exactly how it had been since you met him. Both Slytherin teens had grown taller, Sebastian still slightly towering over Ominis, while they both towered over you. Sebastian's shoulders were broader, and his muscles were a bit more defined underneath his white school shirt. It was clear that - since you last saw him - he had gotten more fit. You looked away, reminding yourself that you had a boyfriend - Garreth, but in reality, you didn't want to look away.

Did he still love you, even though you were supposed to hate him? Did he still harbour any romantic feelings for you?