Taming the Serpent

Chapter 19

Following a hearty breakfast, after which Ominis felt he was able to function somewhat more like a person with full control of his faculties, he, Silver and Sebastian elected to walk to Feldcroft, a journey that would take them perhaps an hour or two, depending on their speed. Though at first dubious of the distance, Ominis found that the fresh, cool autumn air on his face blew away the last remnants of his hangover, and they set out at a steady pace.

As they went, Ominis was content to listen as Sebastian kept up a stream of chatter, telling Silver all about the mischief he and Anne used to get up to when they were little, touching briefly on their time with their parents before they died. His behaviour was remarkably normal, and Ominis dared to hope that his continued exposure to whatever it was that made Silver irresistible was having some kind of immunising effect. He occasionally supplemented Sebastian's stories as he moved into their Hogwarts years, and soon the three of them were laughing at the various reasons they'd all landed detention.

As they neared Feldcroft, Sebastian's tone took a sombre turn as the timeline reached their fifth year. His desperation for a cure, his willingness to do anything, the corrupting influence of Slytherin's spellbook and the relic he found. Ominis kept his silence as he talked, not wanting to interrupt, no matter how the memories rankled him. How he'd warned him, over and over, that such a path was dangerous, doomed for tragedy. How he'd been ignored, over and over. It didn't help that he remembered all too well what Silver had said as they walked back from Hogsmeade, how Claire had not only supported Sebastian's antics, but encouraged them, and manipulated Ominis himself into doing things he never would, just so she could learn the unforgivable curses. Silver too kept her silence, listening as they pace slowed, and they eventually stopped on the border of Feldcroft.

"Then I killed my uncle," Sebastian said, his voice barely above a whisper. He gave a low, rueful laugh. "Fuck, I don't even know why I told you that. But I did. He... shit, Sil, he was fucking horrible to me as a kid. I didn't mean to do it, it was just a heat of the moment thing. He kept trying to stop me helping Anne, like he wanted her to die, and I didn't want her to suffer. He tried to kill me too, me and Claire."

Ominis could hear the desperation in his voice, the frantic need for Silver to understand his reasoning, the fear he may have said too much, that he may yet be found out, judged harshly, abandoned. The lingering dread that he wanted to be punished, and was afraid of it.

"I understand," Silver said, gently. "It's something I'm unfortunately familiar with, a caregiver that was supposed to love you as a child, and instead did nothing but hurt you. I found my parent's deaths to be something of a blessing, though I do feel some kind of sadness about the whole thing. I suppose I mourn the life I should have had with them, the idea of what my childhood could have been, not the people themselves."

"I..." Sebastian went quiet. "Yeah. That's... that's exactly it."

Ominis didn't trust himself to speak. It was a feeling he'd had a long time, this sense of deep, scratching grief whenever he thought of his family, dear Aunt Noctua and those that should have loved him. It was a grief for what could have been.

His mood darkened. They'd never loved him. All they'd done is hate and deride him, hurting him and forcing him to-

Silver's hand tightened on his arm as he drew a sharp breath, his skin prickling.

"You okay?" Sebastian asked, and Ominis forced himself to grin, the feeling on his face a sharp contrast to the swirling sickness in his gut.

"Yes, of course. Just... stepped on a stone, that's all."

"Ah, alright." Sebastian stretched, groaning softly. "Come on then, it's not far."

They crossed the familiar square, and Sebastian suddenly sped up, dashing away from them, his voice rising in a joyful call.