The Winter of 1981 [ENG]

Aroma of Pumpkin

Theme music : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYYiwdjlC5A

Wednesday December 9, 1981. [POV Ominis]

The winter days passed over Hogwarts castle as quickly as the cold set in. Around the large tables in the Great Hall, or even around a corner in a corridor, rumors were rife. d'être sa partenaire de danse. For instance, there was talk of a Gryffindor student who had come to speak to the prettiest student at Beauxbatons by saying French words one after another in a very basic level, and with such dubious pronunciation that it made her laugh. And she had agreed to be her dance partner. The boy had the guts to do what many had difficulty doing. The troublemakers, for their part, were much more concerned with finding THE gadget from Zonko or THE new prank to invent that could dethrone Garreth's fantastic "farting chairs".

Ominis among others was more concerned with Transfiguration or Potions homework (he was never particularly good at it). This was why he had gone to the library one afternoon to write his dissertation on "the uses of Ashwinder eggs in the creation of love and memory potions," but his quill had barely formed a few words in black ink on his parchment, when he fell asleep on the table, resting his head on his arms. Besides being a wide collection of magical knowledge, the library provided a quiet place for the wizard who was hidden in a remote corner behind countless shelves, filled with old books.

Unlike his usual nightmares, this time Ominis was immersed in sweet dreams. The sound of novel pages turning was replaced by a soft, distant laughter in his dream world. He thought about what would happen once he finished his studies and he was hoping for a freer life, away from the oppressive influence of his family and the pain and trauma of the past. In his dream, the boy imagined the simple pleasures of life, his surroundings filled with warmth and peace. He saw himself bathed in the fresh, and crisp air of the Scottish Highlands, where the smell of the woods after a downpour was mixed with… a subtle scent of pumpkins and something… typically masculine.

He then felt slight tremors, meaning that someone had sat on the same bench as him, which made him grumble softly in discontent.

- Woah, you’re working hard !

Apart from Sebastian, no one else at Hogwarts bother (or dare to bother) to wake him. The blond wizard rubbed his face with his hands before questioning his friend in a whisper low enough not to disturb the calm of the huge library :

- What are you doing here ? Where have you been ?
- By Merlin’s beard ! I was studying, obviously !, he said mockingly shrugging his shoulders, Then I saw you, and I came to make sure you were doing your homework.

This pitch made Ominis sigh quietly, who clearly suspected that his friend was hiding the real reason for his coming here. Especially since theoretical potions homework wasn't his thing either.

– Can you-

He had barely opened his lips again when someone was clearing their throat behind them : it was Madame Scribner, the librarian of extreme authority, who looked at the troublemaker with a severe expression, marked by his frown and pursed lips. She has always had little patience for disorder and nonsense, and for those who cause it... like Sebastian, who is a little too used to breaking rules and getting detentions.

- Strange to see you on the right side of the library, Mr. Sallow.
- Would you believe it if I say that I -
– Shhh., she required silence, I'm warning you : I'm keeping an eye on you.

She turned around to head back to her office, not without giving one last glance at their table over her small round glasses.

- Tss, how annoying Mrs. Shush can be ! If she could, she would probably confiscate quills for being too 'noisy'., Sebastian mumbled before leaning back towards Ominis to speak to him more softly, What were we saying again ?

But Ominis could barely register the words in his mind. His whole body had tensed the moment Sebastian's leg brushed his under the table as the smell of old parchment that filled the air of the library was now mingled with a stronger scent of masculine essence as well as a richer and earthier aroma… His heart quickened even though he remained still, stoic even. The area between them, though slight, seemed infinite. The words groped around the edge of his mind, before he managed to say several words together in a row :

- I guess if you're here, you still haven't touched your pile of homework. Am I wrong ?

Sebastian put a hand on his chest, exaggerating :

– How dare you doubt that I didn't do my job ?, he said carcastically, Of course I did. Who do you think I am ?

He then looked up at the high vaulted ceiling, seemingly deep in thought.

– Well, now that you mention it, I may have forgotten to do one homework, or two… or three ?
– Idiot. Potions homework is due soon, you know that ?
– Ominis, I don't want to pretend to know... because I didn't know about it.

The blond pushed him a manual with the title : « Index of ingredients for magical use », in which there were many answers. Ominis hadn't opened it yet, having only written the introduction to his dissertation before sleep overtook him... Being blind from birth, the Pure-blood wizard needed magical assistance to "read", or rather to "listen" to the lines of the books using the spell Sonorus Legere ; which is rather inconvenient when there are people nearby, but it was still more reliable than Sebastian's readings, who had far too often amused himself by telling him bullshit to made him believe it was written in the text.

– What would I do without you ?, finally said the troublemaker before taking out a a parchment.

So for more than an hour they did their assignment while Sebastian Sallow would lean over every now and then to ask a question or share an interesting remark, his arm occasionally brushing Ominis's. It was nothing, just the casual contact of two friends studying together. For Sebastian, it was normal.

For Ominis, that was everything.

His warm presence, his easy laughter (while trying to not attract Scribe's attention), and even the way his hand occasionally brushed against Ominis's on the table, all of these things made his heart race in ways he couldn't (and shouldn't) explain.

For the umpteenth time, he couldn't help but wonder if it was selfish of him to have wanted to keep his friend close to him when he was secretly carrying the weight of a murder on his shoulders ? Ominis has always been a wise wizard. The voice of reason. But although his head had told him to report Sebastian to the Magical Law Enforcement Squad… his heart had been incapable of it.

He didn't know how long he could sit like that, so close to Sebastian, but so far from being able to tell him what had been lodged in his chest for… what seemed like an eternity. He had long accepted that his feelings for him were different, but how could he tell him ? Ashamed of himself, Ominis remained silent as the intrepid wizard, amidst some studious remarks, asked him an unexpected question :

– It would be cool if you could read one day. I mean… without having to listen to a boring blah blah that others can hear. And instead, you could read by simply touching the pages, without your wand ! Don’t you think ?