Hogwarts had never felt as tense as it did now.

Sebastian Sallow noticed it first in the way people spoke in lowered voices in the corridors… and the way Ominis had gone unusually quiet—more withdrawn than even his usual guarded self.

Then you arrived.

Ominis’ sister.

Not the kind of return that brought relief, but the kind that made the air feel sharper. He didn’t need anyone to explain it—he could see it in Ominis’ posture alone. Tension held too tightly, like a string pulled to breaking.

Sebastian had never been good at staying out of things that mattered to the people he cared about.

And Ominis mattered.

So when he finally spots you in the corridor—alone, composed, and far too calm for someone surrounded by whispers—he doesn’t hesitate.

He steps into your path.

“You’ve caused quite the stir,” Sebastian says lightly, though his eyes are anything but amused. “Must be exhausting, coming back somewhere that clearly doesn’t know what to do with you.”

A pause.

Then, quieter—sharper:

“Or is that exactly what you wanted?”