Every Shade of Green (Ominis Gaunt)

Jade Light

Jade Light spills from the mouth of the serpents, like the whispered tongue from his lips.

~

"Hello Sebastian-"

A soft voice speaks clearly when Emmaline leaves the Undercroft.

"Wait," he frowns, "you there. I can hear you."

"Hello Ominis," Emma says quickly. "I wasn't trying to hide from you. I was just heading to our common room."

"I recognise that voice. You're the new fifth year," he concludes sharply. The sudden unfamiliarity stings, "Did you just come from the undercroft? How did you get in there?"

"That room is called the undercroft? Well-" Emma stops herself, hearing how fake she sounds. She sighs heavily, "I doubt Sebastian expected me to run into you. I'm sorry. He swore me to secrecy howe-"

He suddenly turns cold and nasty.

"You breathe a word about this place to anyone, not even your precious Professor Fig will be able to help you. My father is friends with the headmaster. I'm not afraid to exploit that connection if I need to."

Emma feels undeniably shot down, face hot and chest aching, put off.

"You needn't threaten me. I'm not going to say anything about your undercroft, and Sebastian is a good friend. You shouldn't immediately assume the worst of him."

"I don't need you to tell me about my oldest friend, thank you very much!"

Emma frowns, "Ominis, I only meant-"

"I know what you meant! Sebastian gets himself into enough trouble as it is. He doesn't need your help."

She hurries away as he mutters about how much trouble Sebastian is in.

Emma storms through the castle trying to look as normal as possible, not stopping for anyone or anything until she is eventually outside.

The sky is pink with dusk and she feels like roaring into the great expanse of the flying class lawn.

That was just painful. It was silly to assume her few interactions with Ominis meant she knew him well.

What do you know he's capable of?

"Stupid," she sighs to herself, hands on her hips, "Stupid, stupid, stupid." A sharp palm to her forehead.

She waves her wand, removing her Slytherin uniform and donning her questing clothes. She summons her broom and heads off to take her frustrations out on some poachers.

~

"It's nice to meet you by the way. You must be the new fifth year Sebastian told me about."

Anne Sallow seemed a cruel name for a girl suffering such a fate, for Sebastian's sister was every bit a sick and frail young girl as rumoured, obviously suffering something painful and debilitating. Emmaline can see why Sebastian is motivated as such.

"I am," Emma smiles, "Emmaline Blackrose. Pleased to meet you. Sebastian and I met on my first day at Hogwarts - in the Slytherin common room."

"Your name is very pretty," she expresses.

Emma is taken aback, "I like the first one, but not the last one so much."

Anne turns her head curiously but doesn't question her, "I miss the common room. I adored teasing first-years about spotting mermaids through the window."