Equinox

Chapter 1 – Tense Reunion

It has been two years since the defeat of Ranrok and his loyalists, as well as two years since Sebastian Sallow left Hogwarts to find Anne and continue his search for a cure. Today also marks the death anniversary of one of Hogwarts' best professors, Professor Fig.

Olivia sat before Professor Fig's tombstone, placing handpicked flowers from a nearby cave within the Forbidden Forest. Every year, she had dreaded this day. She couldn't help but feel that she should have been the one killed or that she shouldn't have been with Professor Fig when facing Ranrok. Despite Hogwarts having a happy ending, it felt like her heart had been ripped away, leaving her with emptiness.

It wasn't just the professor's death that made her feel this way. Her first year at Hogwarts had been filled with death and traumatic experiences. Losing one of her closest friends, who pursued the Dark Arts despite her pleas, weighed heavily on her.

Although Sebastian didn't die with the professor, she felt as if he might as well be dead. He hadn't sent a single letter since their last conversation, the day he decided to go after Anne and make amends. While she couldn't blame him entirely, as her curiosity and desire for answers had fueled his pursuit of a cure using dark magic, she felt abandoned. She never blamed him but felt hurt by his absence, especially since they used to explore Hogsmeade and embark on adventures together.

"We miss you, Professor," Olivia whispered, touching the tombstone. "Nothing has been the same without you. Professor Weasley still talks about the times when you were here and how you helped students."

A warm breeze swept by, causing Olivia's golden locks to sway. She wiped her tears and smiled briefly upon seeing a blue-coated bird resembling the color Professor Fig used to wear. However, sadness overwhelmed her.

Olivia always put on a smile for others, concealing her vulnerable self. She didn't want pity or comfort, as she bore sensitive secrets. She couldn't afford the Ministry questioning her about past events; all she wanted was to be left alone.

Olivia stood up and walked towards Highwing, his silvery-white feathers shimmering in the setting sun. She didn't want to end this moment like this, but she had to. Ominis had sent her an owl, requesting a meeting at the Undercroft before dinner. The letter didn't provide further details, except to arrive on time.

"Come on, Highwing," Olivia said as she mounted the Hippogriff. "We have somewhere to be."

"Lumos," Olivia raised her wand, illuminating the dark and seemingly empty Undercroft. Ominis was nowhere to be found.

"He must be late," she thought, finding it suspicious since Ominis was never tardy. She would often receive snarky remarks from him when she was late, emphasizing the importance of not wasting time. Ominis had become critical in the past two years, likely missing Sebastian and using passive-aggressiveness to cope with the emptiness.

As Olivia cast Confringo on the torches, she heard whispers emanating from the room.

"Ominis?" she called, receiving no response but more murmurs. Something felt off; only she and Ominis knew about the Undercroft.

Slowly scanning the room, she couldn't spot Ominis. Frustration grew as she called out to him again, her heart pounding and palms becoming warm and slightly sweaty. "Ominis, this isn't funny..."

A figure with brown hair appeared behind her as Ominis pushed him out from behind a cabinet, both dusting off their uniforms.

"Sebastian?" Olivia's eyes widened, her heart sinking momentarily. She dropped her wand, covering her mouth

"We were supposed to come up with a plan to surprise you with this news, but it seems you arrived earlier than expected," Ominis said plainly. "You certainly have impeccable timing."

"This can't be," Olivia thought, "It just can't."

"Hello, Olivia," Sebastian said as he approached her slowly. Olivia took a big step back. "Well, I can tell I've been missed."

She turned around, quickly wiped her eyes, and faced Sebastian again. Clearing her throat, she questioned, "Why are you here?"

Sebastian looked puzzled. "You're not happy."

She felt a whirlwind of emotions. She wanted to run and embrace him, expressing how much she missed him. She wanted to scream at him for abandoning her and Ominis. She wanted to slap him for not sending any letters or visiting them. She wanted to do all of these things at once, but all she could do was stare at him with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Ominis began, walking closer to Olivia. "We wanted it to be a surprise. We thought you'd be... overjoyed." He turned towards Sebastian, implying something different.

"I am," Olivia said, though her tone lacked conviction. Her frown persisted, and her voice faltered. "I am..." She looked at Sebastian. "...glad." The last word was barely audible.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said sincerely. "I wasn't... ready."

"Of course," she replied plainly. Words flooded her mind, but she couldn't decide which to say first. "I'm sure you weren't."

"Well, I thought I'd join you for our last year together."

"Right."

"And I thought I'd receive a warm welcome."

"Yes."

"But it seems I'm not getting one," Sebastian crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "At least not from you."

"Prick," she thought, along with other obscenities that raced through her mind. His arrogance seemed more pronounced than ever. She couldn't believe that after being absent for two years, he expected an easy reentry into their lives. She used to laugh at his egotistical remarks, but growing up seemed to have quickly altered her perception of him.

"I think I need a moment," Olivia said, looking away from Sebastian to glance at Ominis. "I'm terribly exhausted today, and I still have to catch up on some assignments from Professor Sharp." It was a lie, which made Ominis cringe. "I'm terribly sorry."

As Olivia walked away to leave the Undercroft, Sebastian glanced at Ominis.

"Well, this is going well," Sebastian said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and running his hand through his hair.

"You did just show up here without saying anything for two years," Ominis replied.

"I know-"

"Two years!"

"Fine!" Sebastian dismissed the argument. "Okay. This wasn't exactly the plan. A lot has happened, and I acknowledge that what I did was wrong. I'm doing my best to start over."

"Well, my friend," Ominis stepped closer to Sebastian, patting him on the shoulder while holding his wand in the other hand. "Try harder."

A/N: This story was also published on Wattpad under the username, cl0nazpm. So don't come at me and call plagiarism. It was also me. lol

I promised myself never to touch Fanfiction again, but I couldn't help myself. This game had me hooked so much that I wanted to satisfy my desire to finish a story like this based off the questions left unanswered on the game. :(

If anyone is interested, I posted a TikTok video edit on Olivia and Sebastian. You might be able to find it under the same Wattpad username.