Little Snake - A Black Legacy

Chapter Eighteen - Some kind of Family

Before we get started:

1: At the moment I have more in my head than I would like. Among other things, an idea for the second part of this story which unfortunately blocks my creativity until I have written it down... So part 2 already has 3 chapters xD Sorry for that :P Anyway, that's why I'm posting a bit irregularly right now.

2: Did I make a special effort with the header for this chapter ;) but PSST :D

Have fun!

"Merlin's trampled mauve bushes!" Sebastian gasped when he caught sight of Hazel. Ominis, beside her, looked quite unharmed, thankfully, though upset and and messy. Sebastian had sat sleeplessly in front of the fireplace, reading, hoping he wouldn't have to look for them. Then, around 2 o'clock, he had heard stumbling, dragging footsteps, and painful groans. When he had gotten up and turned around, his breath had been taken away.

Ominis dragged Hazel alongside him, who, her face contorted in pain, leaned fully on him. The left arm, completely uncovered by cloth, was pressed against her belly, the hand pressed to her side. The blood from her nose dripped unhindered, down her chin, onto her clothes. Her right arm was draped over Ominis shoulders, he was supporting her. She was barely walking herself, dragging her feet behind her with trouble. "What, for the hopping cauldron, happened?!" he shouted, running to them to help Ominis get her into the room. "Ranrok's people," Hazel whispered strained when they were finally in the room and she could sit down. She felt terribly dizzy.

"At first there were only 4 and we had already taken out two of them, but when they saw the carts, there were more and more. I stopped counting at 15. Hazel, lean your head forward. Your nose is still bleeding!" Ominis interrupted himself when he saw Hazel's head slump back after she sat down in the chair in the middle of the room. She sighed wearily and propped her head up with her right hand, resting her elbow on her knees. She just let it drip onto her pants, too exhausted to do anything about it.

Sebastian could tell Ominis was a mess, still full of adrenaline. "We did pretty well, but the last few... we started to run out of energy. Hazel was forced to use her Ancient Magic. Shortly before finishing the spell, however, the curse knocked her out. When everything was quiet, I found her unconscious, in a circle of dead goblins, injured and bleeding from the nose ever since," Ominis told quickly, while he searched her dresser for her nightgown, wand in hand, glowing red.

"What are you looking for, Ominis?" Sebastian asked, his gaze shifting anxiously between him and Hazel. He worried she was about to faint or he was about to destroy the room. "I'm looking for her long-sleeved nightgown. We've to get to Noreen. We'll get her nosebleed explained somehow, should we get caught, but the arm had better be seen only by Noreen" he explained quickly.

Sebastian grumbled. "Here. Just take the short one and put the sweater over it for her. She should drink an energy potion before we go" Sebastian said firmly, pushing her short sleeved night gown into his hand and a sweater with the Slytherin emblem on it.

Hazel was so exhausted that the two decided to give her the bluish energy potion directly. With difficulty, Hazel swallowed it and shivered a little as the cool liquid ran down her throat.