pairing: garreth weasley × oc
rating: PG
tags: modern au; aged-up characters; garreth is a flirt :3
synopsis: a friend, a brew and a perfectly Gryffindor car
A/N: im continuing my modern au hogwarts legacy series :D enjoy! decided to add a little moodboard to add to the atmosphere (thx to amazing @pixopix for the divider ♡
'Drove as fast as I could. The roads are an absolute nightmare. Where's everyone rushing off to on a Friday? Merlin's beard!'
Garreth beamed the moment he climbed out of the car. His brand-new convertible gleamed in the sunlight—bright red, naturally. A glossy Gryffindor lion decal shone proudly on the driver's door, a little tribute to his old house. Cathy smiled warmly in return. Walking over, she gently ran her hand across the sun-warmed bonnet before stopping in front of Weasley, tilting her head back to meet his freckled face.
'It's been ages. It's so good to see you,' she said, lifting her arms to hug him. Garreth, of course, wasn't about to waste the opportunity. The instant she wrapped her arms around him, he slipped his own around her waist, lifting her an inch or two off the ground before setting her down again with exaggerated care. 'And it's brilliant to see you! I brought you some Cherry Fizzing Whizzbees brew. Thought of you straight away. Fancy some?' Releasing her from the hug, he gave her a playful wink.
Cathy nodded approvingly. 'How could I possibly say no? Shall we get in?' she asked, shading her eyes from the sun with the palm of her hand. Garreth shrugged and walked round to the passenger side to open the door for her, then slipped into the driver's seat once she was settled inside. With a soft purr, the engine came to life, and the car pulled away.
The moment she sank into the seat, Cathy practically melted. The cabin was pleasantly cool after the summer heat. A cheerful beach tune drifted softly through the speakers, while two heavy glasses of Garreth's signature brew clinked quietly together in the cup holders. A contented smile spread across her face.
'So? What do you think of the car? Like it?' Garreth eased onto the road, stealing only a quick sideways glance, unable to hide his grin.
'It's lovely. Had it long?'
'Not really. Only just got it. Figured I might as well treat myself after replacing my broom. The old one was only fit for chasing garden gnomes around,' he rattled off excitedly, gripping the steering wheel with obvious delight.
'Do you use your broom for delivering potions?' Cathy reached for the reddish drink. The thick glass felt reassuringly solid in her hand, though it was heavy enough that she soon rested it on her lap.
'Among other things,' he replied with a satisfied smile. 'Business is booming at the moment, so I'm constantly flying back and forth.'
Outside, the concrete jungle rolled endlessly past. Families and lone pedestrians wandered wherever there was room to wander; cars hurried about their business, overtaking one another; bright shopfronts and boutique windows beckoned devoted shoppers and curious passers-by alike.
'Funny lot, Muggles, aren't they?' Garreth murmured as he turned off the busy road into the quieter residential streets leading towards Cathy's little flat. 'Always rushing somewhere...'
'Oh, I don't know. Wizards aren't much different. They're always sticking their noses into something.'
Cathy shrugged and turned back to the window, watching the familiar streets, tower blocks and little shops drift by. Home was only moments away. Garreth's brew left a pleasantly cool sensation in her throat. 'This is really good. I like it.'
Spotting an empty parking space directly opposite Cathy's building, Garreth eased the car neatly into it and turned the key. The engine fell silent. Unfastening his seatbelt, he turned towards Cathy, resting an elbow on the back of his seat as his gaze travelled slowly over her, from head to toe. 'Knew you'd like it. I'd never have perfected the formula without you.'
Undoing her own seatbelt, Cathy turned to face him and gave a gentle shake of her head. 'You've become an excellent potioneer.'
For a fleeting moment, she thought the tips of Garreth's ears had turned pink, but before she could be certain, he laughed, and his unruly ginger curls fell forward, hiding them completely. 'Happy to impress!'
Silence settled comfortably inside the car. Cathy lowered her gaze slightly, taking another sip of her drink, while Garreth simply kept looking at her, as though trying to memorise every little detail—every curl, every eyelash. 'What are you up to today?'
'I'm calling Ominis this evening. We were planning to go to a museum. There's an exhibition by one of our favourite artists,' Cathy said thoughtfully, taking her phone out of her handbag to check her plans. Several messages from Sebastian were already waiting in her notifications.
— How are you? Made it there alright?
— If Weasley is holding you hostage, send up a flare.
She couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh.
'And what are you doing now?' Garreth asked, his voice softer than usual. There was an unhurried calm to his tone, and something almost wistful in his eyes. Cathy raised her brows slightly, lifting her gaze from her phone to him.
'Now? I don't know. Probably have a shower. It's roasting...'
'Want some company?' A beat passed before the corner of his mouth curled into an incorrigible grin. '...I could scrub your back for you.'
Cathy merely rolled her eyes, handed him the heavy glass and, before climbing out of the car, clicked her tongue. 'Go cool your head, Weasley.'
All Garreth could do was watch her disappear into the building before letting out a quiet sigh, starting the engine once more and setting off on his next adventure.
pairing: sebastian × oc
rating: G
tags: canon divergent; fluff; imelda being mean; anne being healthy; sebastian being silly; ominis being sweet; my dear cathy being too gentle
synopsis: sometimes watching your mouth is hard. be ready to apologise, boy.
A/N: i have lot of ideas but most of them will be not included in a major fic, so here we are
'The Quidditch Cup is just around the corner, Sallows. Pull yourself together, or you're off the team!' Imelda hissed through gritted teeth as she spread a generous layer of raspberry jam over a slice of still-warm toast.
Their sixth year had only just begun. Beyond the enchanted windows, the trees had yet to exchange their summer greens for autumn gold, and a warm southern breeze drifted lazily across the grounds, carrying with it the lingering breath of summer. Birds sang from the depths of the Forbidden Forest, while owls swooped overhead, weaving between the enchanted ceiling and the breakfast tables, eager to deliver the morning's letters and freshly printed copies of the Daily Prophet.
The peaceful morning could hardly have contrasted more sharply with the grumbling coming from the Slytherin table.
The cancellation of last year's inter-house Quidditch season had left its mark on every member of the team. Their best Chaser had missed the entire school year with an illness no one seemed willing—or able—to explain, and now she was expected to make up for months of lost practice while enduring Imelda's relentlessly demanding training sessions.
The summer holidays had done little to wash the weariness from Sebastian's or Anne's faces. Both looked unusually drained for such a bright September morning. Being on the receiving end of one of Imelda Reyes' lectures was hardly anyone's idea of a pleasant breakfast.
A short distance away sat Cathy and Ominis, quietly talking between themselves and making a conscious effort to stay out of the conversation before Imelda's temper found two more targets.
'It'll be fine, Imelda,' Anne mumbled sleepily, absent-mindedly prodding her eggs with a fork. 'There's not a better team in Hogwarts than ours. Slytherin's got this.'
'Exactly,' Sebastian chimed in with an easy grin. 'Have a little faith.' That, unfortunately, only made their captain even more irritable. Empty confidence was one of the few things Imelda despised almost as much as losing.
'Neither of you has touched a broom in a year. What exactly are you so confident about? I'm not about to lose the Cup because of the pair of you.'
'Oh, come off it,' Sebastian laughed. 'Anne and I are still better than Cathy, for one.' His eyes flickered towards his friend.
When Cathy heard her name, she looked up, simply pressed her lips into a thin line, gave a small nod, and lowered her gaze to her breakfast.
'You're proud of being better than someone who earned a Troll in Flying?' Imelda shot back, sparing Cathy only the briefest glance before returning her attention to Sebastian. 'That's not exactly an achievement worth boasting about.'
'Oh, stop picking on me...' Cathy muttered under her breath. 'I'm just afraid of heights.' She folded her hands together beneath the table, rested her elbows on its edge, and resumed idly pushing a small tomato around her plate with the tip of her fork.
Frowning, Ominis reached across and gave her shoulder a gentle, reassuring pat. 'Don't mind them,' he said quietly. 'They're just an overcompetitive pair of idiots.' If he'd been able to see her, he would have noticed the faint smile that finally tugged at the corners of her lips.
—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—
The afternoon sun still bathed the Hogwarts grounds in gentle warmth. Little birds flitted from one corner of the castle roof to another, gathering in cheerful clusters as though performing a concert for anyone willing to pause and listen. Free of charge, too.
Cathy had done exactly that.
Settled beneath the shade of an old oak, she sat on a cool stone bench with a sheet of parchment resting across her lap, leisurely writing a letter home. She filled it with little snippets of school life, the journey north to Scotland, the start of term, and all the wonderfully ordinary things that hardly seemed worth mentioning, yet somehow always found their way into letters to one's parents.
'Mind if I join you?' The familiar voice came from somewhere above her, making Cathy lift her quill before a drop of ink could blot the parchment. Looking up, she found Sebastian standing over her, his untidy brown hair as hopelessly windswept as ever.
He had already changed into his Quidditch robes. Apparently, Imelda had managed to drag the team out for practice after all. Not that anyone could blame her on a day like this.
'Of course not,' Cathy smiled softly, nodding towards the empty space beside her before returning to the last few lines of her letter. 'Just give me a minute.'
'Writing home?' Rather than sitting properly, Sebastian turned sideways on the bench, drawing one knee up and resting both arms across it. His eyes wandered over the neat rows of careful handwriting that marched across the parchment like a tiny picket fence: orderly, if just a little difficult to decipher.
'Mum and Dad,' she replied without looking up. 'They asked me to write as soon as I'd arrived, but... I completely forgot. Professor Kogawa and I have been sorting out my Flying resit.'
The moment the word resit left her lips, Sebastian's smile faded. He let out a quiet sigh and shifted a little closer, planting both feet firmly on the grass. One of his hands twitched, almost reaching for hers before stopping halfway.
'Cathy... about what I said in the Great Hall...'
'Sebastian, honestly, it's all right.' She cut him off before he could finish, placing a firm full stop at the end of her letter before neatly tucking the parchment, quill and ink bottle back into her satchel. Only then did she finally look up. Her green eyes met his brown ones.
"I really am dreadful at flying,' she said with a small, self-conscious laugh. 'There's not much to be done about it.'
For a moment, Sebastian forgot how to speak. What had seemed like a harmless joke at breakfast had wounded her far more deeply than he'd ever intended. He could see it now in the faint shimmer lingering in her eyes.
'Cathy, I didn't—' The words caught in his throat. He stopped himself. Making excuses was pointless, he'd always said as much. Perhaps it was about time he started listening to his own advice. The excuses came as naturally as breathing, tumbling through his mind one after another: I didn't mean it, you took it the wrong way or It was only a joke.
As though the stubborn fifth-year version of himself still lingered somewhere inside him, whispering them into his ear like a serpent. But how much longer was he going to let that boy speak for him?
The worst part was that Cathy didn't even seem upset for her own sake. If anything, she looked more uncomfortable knowing that he felt guilty. There was that familiar smile of hers, patient and understanding, and, to be fair, far kinder than he deserved. It cut deeper than any spell or accusation ever could.
And, somehow, that only made everything worse. She was comforting him. Again. Just as she had after everything that had happened the previous year.
Sebastian looked away. His brow tightened of its own accord, his jaw clenched until the muscles ached, and the apology lodged stubbornly in his throat. Merlin... This was so much harder than facing a duel.
He drew in a slow, unsteady breath, his voice was barely above a whisper. 'Cathy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked about it. I saw how much it upset you... and I said it anyway.. I was...' The words felt strangely heavy as if he'd had to wrench them free by force.
But he never had the chance to finish. Warm arms suddenly slipped around his shoulders, and before he realised what was happening, Cathy's chin rested lightly against his shoulder. She smelled faintly of pine needles and fresh air. 'Thank you for apologising, Sebastian,' she murmured quietly beside his ear. 'I wasn't expecting you to.'
Relief washed over him almost instantly only to be followed by a dull stab of disappointment. Was he really that hopeless at apologising? He didn't know. And, for once, he decided the answer could wait. Instead, he simply rested his hands gently against her back, returning the embrace without another word.
After a quiet moment, he leaned back just enough to meet her eyes. 'Next time,' he said softly, a tentative smile tugging at his lips, 'how about I teach you to fly?'
She smiled softly, giving a small nod. 'Do you promise not to get cross when I inevitably fall off?'
A quiet laugh escaped Sebastian. 'I'll be the most patient instructor Hogwarts has ever seen.' His smile widened.
“sebastian, I can’t believe you just did that!”
“hurry before Madam Snelling catches us!”
prank after prank, our laughter echoed through the streets of Hogsmeade, now but a hollow void of what used to be.
A/N: just a little silly drabble about Sebastian being a very good friend ☆
As always, the rain chose the worst possible moment to begin.
Cathy was only a few strides from the castle. Another second and her feet would have reached the worn stone steps. Instead, thunder cracked overhead so suddenly that she actually jumped. A fierce gust of wind swept across the grounds from nowhere, and then the heavens opened, sending a solid curtain of rain crashing onto the dry spring grass.
There was nothing for it now.
Leaving the stone path, she cut across the little meadow. Beyond the narrow bridge stood an old but sturdy wooden door which, fortunately enough, led to the quickest route back to the Slytherin common room.
Her cloak, soaked through, did little to shield her uniform from the rain. With every step, her satchel seemed to squelch in protest, while her shoes threatened to slip off her equally sodden tights.
What a disaster.
Brushing dripping strands of hair from her face, Cathy trudged on regardless, drawing a little closer to Hogwarts' welcome warmth with every step.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
At last, the icy wind was left outside.
She let out a long breath, unclasped her cloak and gathered the dripping fabric awkwardly in her arms before squelching down into the dungeons. Naturally, Peeves appeared along the way and invented a little rhyme at her expense. How thoughtful of him. Luckily she was already walking through familiar cold walls.
'Merlin's beard! I thought the dungeon walls had burst and the Black Lake was pouring in to drag us all off to the merfolk!'
The cheerful voice made Cathy stop in her tracks.
Exhausted, miserable and thoroughly fed up, she could only roll her eyes before forcing a polite smile and turning around.
Chestnut hair.
Bright brown eyes.
Freckles scattered across almost every inch of his face.
Of course.
Sebastian Sallow.
'Hello to you too, Sebastian,' the Slytherin girl replied through gritted teeth, clutching her crumpled cloak a little tighter around herself. If only it could protect her from her classmates' jokes as well as the rain.
'Bit of weather out there,' Sebastian said, looking her up and down before folding his arms. His tone remained as light-hearted as ever, yet something in his expression had changed. Softer, perhaps.
Cathy was far too tired to puzzle over whatever was going through his mind. She simply gave a faint shake of her head and looked away. How embarrassing.
'I'm absolutely soaked. I think I'll have a shower. It's freezing.'
The last words came out barely above a murmur.
Sebastian had seen her drenched before, but never looking quite so defeated. Closing the distance between them in two quick strides, he pointed at the strap of her satchel.
'Give me your bag.'
Not a request, but an order.
Too exhausted to argue, Cathy slowly slipped it from her shoulder and handed it over. Water was still dripping steadily from the leather. She grimaced.
'I'm afraid to imagine what my notes must look like...'
Sebastian merely pressed his lips together in sympathy. The satchel was surprisingly heavy, and within moments he could feel the damp soaking into his own cloak.
'Don't worry. I know a spell that'll sort them out.'
'But we're not allowed to use magic on homework.'
'No one will notice.'
'But, Sebastian—'
He stopped so abruptly that she almost walked into him.
Though there was little difference in their height, at that moment he somehow seemed much taller. His confident grey eyes met hers without wavering.
'I said no one will notice.'
A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
'Trust me.'
Cathy managed the faintest smile in return and, lacking the energy to argue any further, simply nodded.
'Now go and have that shower. I'd rather not spend tomorrow explaining everything you've missed because you've caught a cold.'
With a grin over his shoulder, Sebastian disappeared down the staircase towards the common room, leaving Cathy alone with her thoughts. And thinking was exhausting, so she turned right instead and headed for the girls' showers.
⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—
The following morning, she woke feeling rested, refreshed and pleasantly warm. Yesterday's misery had disappeared down the drain with the rainwater. By the time she reached the common room, it was almost deserted.
For a moment, she thought she'd arrived first. Then she heard it – the faint sound of someone breathing. Following the sound into the adjoining study room, she spotted a familiar figure slumped over one of the tables.
As she drew closer, there was no mistaking him.
Sebastian.
He was asleep. Fast asleep, in fact, with his head resting on a neat stack of freshly written parchment.
Cathy froze.
Spread across the table beside him were the original pages—her rain-soaked notes. So there hadn't been a spell after all. He had spent the entire night copying every last page by hand. Warmth rushed to her cheeks before she could stop it.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she leaned down and pressed the gentlest, lightest kiss against the crown of his head.
pairing: (subtle) sebastian × oc × ominis
rating: PG (i guess)
tags: modern au; aged-up characters; fluff; characters are gentle messes;
warnings: very subtle throuple (?)
synopsis: summer exists for reading, sleeping and being gentle
A/N: i am working on my major HL fanfic and decided not to let any ideas slip away, so the beginning of a small modern au series it is ☆
'Would you like me to read to you?'
The sun was particularly unforgiving that afternoon, blazing even through the large beach umbrella beneath which Cathy and Ominis had been hiding ever since they arrived. Their classmates were splashing about in the sea, Sebastian's sun-kissed shoulders unmistakable among them. The girls, Poppy, Natty, Nerida and the others, had stayed on shore, busy constructing yet another sandcastle that looked remarkably like Hogwarts.
Half-asleep from the heat, Ominis didn't quite register the question. He merely turned his head towards the girl sharing his towel.
'Are you alright?'
'I am. It's just so hot. Which book did you bring today?' His words seemed to stretch lazily, each vowel lingering a little longer than usual. Cathy reached into her bag without much enthusiasm and pulled out a bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap, she poured a little over her hand before gently pressing her cool, damp palm against Ominis's face.
He flinched at the unexpected touch, but within moments found himself unconsciously leaning into it. The heat slowly began to leave his skin.
'Twilight.'
Not wanting the water to meet the unfortunate fate of boiling in the sun, Cathy tucked the bottle back into the depths of her bag and replaced it with a well-worn paperback. The book had followed her through everything: school years, O.W.L.s, N.E.W.T.s, and every one of Sebastian's questionable schemes. It had survived more than enough to earn its place on this beach.
'I still don't understand why everyone's so obsessed with that book.' Ominis muttered, lazily adjusting his shirt as he shuffled a little closer.
'Love's a funny thing. You don't exactly get to choose what you love.' Cathy shrugged, bundled the rest of her belongings into a makeshift pillow, lay back, and held the book above her. Her eyes drifted towards Ominis, who made no move to join her, simply staring, if one could call it that, into the distance. It was impossible to tell whether he was lost in thought.
Though, in truth, he was.
There was so much about love, such an ordinary word for something so impossibly vast, that he simply couldn't understand.
'Very well. Since there doesn't seem to be anything better, I suppose this one will do.' He sat up, tucking his legs beneath him so he could rest his chin on his knees.
'Wouldn't you rather lie down?'
'There's not exactly much room.'
'You can lie on me.'
'Catherine... we're in a public place.'
'We're on a Merlinforsaken beach.'
'People might get the wrong idea...'
'Haven't they been getting the wrong idea since Hogwarts?'
That gave Ominis pause.
She wasn't wrong.
Ever since Cathy had arrived at Hogwarts, everyone seemed to consider it their personal duty to ask how the three of them managed to get along, who fancied whom, and what exactly they were supposed to make of their relationship. Friends? Lovers? Even Ominis had long since stopped trying to answer. Somehow it simply worked. Everyone received exactly as much of her attention as they needed. There were rumours, of course.
But who cared?
Was there anything proper about it?
No one could have said.
'Alright.' With a quiet sigh, Ominis awkwardly lowered himself beside her, resting his head against her shoulder. Her skin was just as warm from the midday sun. Almost instinctively, he brushed his cheek against it. 'But if Sebastian starts one of his scenes again, I'm telling him this was entirely your idea.'
'Deal.' Cathy shifted her shoulder ever so slightly, settling him into a more comfortable position, and, quite deliberately, a little closer to herself, before opening the book.
Her soft, melodic voice carried the first chapter into the warm afternoon air.
—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—⋆—
After a while, the reading was accompanied by the gentle sound of quiet breathing. Ominis had drifted off to sleep, lulled by Forks' cool air and the scent of evergreen trees. Cathy continued reading aloud, gradually lowering her voice until it faded altogether, leaving nothing but the soft rustle of turning pages. The world carried on around them: waves broke against the shore; someone shouted from the water. Then, slowly, a familiar figure emerged from the sunlight.
Exhausted by the relentless sun, Sebastian slowly made his way back beneath the umbrella. His damp, freckled shoulders slumped with fatigue, and his wet hair clung stubbornly to his forehead, forever falling into his eyes. Eyes that looked distinctly unimpressed.
He came to a stop directly in front of their towel, looming over them like a tower. Cathy looked up, smiling brightly as she slipped a finger between the pages to mark her place before closing the book.
'So... how did the Shoulder Wars go?'
Sebastian didn't answer straight away. Instead, he cast an openly displeased glance at his best friend, lingering rather pointedly on the arm draped so naturally around Cathy's waist. The corner of his mouth twitched. Just enough for the girl to notice. And notice she did.
'If Prewett had been a bit steadier on his feet, I'd have won every round.' He muttered through gritted teeth, finally looking at her instead. His folded arms tightened just enough to leave faint impressions in his own skin.
'Why do you look so miserable? Too much sun?' Cathy deliberately ignored the implication behind his expression and reopened her book. Ominis murmured something unintelligible in his sleep. Sebastian looked away.
'You do realise this isn't a date?'
Had the chill in his voice taken physical form, everyone on the beach could have cooled off and declared the weather perfectly pleasant. As it was, only the patch of shade beneath the umbrella seemed to grow colder.
'Of course it isn't. You've just come.' Cathy looked up again, meeting his eyes with an expression that was equal parts challenge and unmistakable affection. Sebastian couldn't quite decide which.
'Why in Merlin's name are you lying like that?'
'I offered.'
Sebastian let out a dissatisfied huff.
'You've never offered me.'
'Well, come here then. I've got two shoulders.'
She tilted her head towards the unoccupied one before returning to her book. Sebastian stared at her for another heartbeat, clearly determined not to give in. However, from the corner of her eye, Cathy watched Sebastian shift awkwardly from foot to foot before eventually dropping to his knees in the sand with an exaggerated sigh of defeat.
Curling himself forward, he carefully lowered his head onto her other shoulder. Cathy freed one hand from the book, reached up, and gently stroked his cheek.
'Good boy,' she murmured.
Sebastian said nothing. Instead, the growing flush creeping up his neck spoke for him. His cheeks were becoming unbearably warm, and so, following Ominis's sleeping example, he edged closer until his face disappeared into the crook of her neck. A soft floral scent greeted him. Jasmine? Roses? Who cared.
'We missed you,' she said quietly, opening the book once more with a contented smile.
A slight shiver ran down her arm as she felt the faintest brush of lips against her pulse.
At last, a cool evening breeze brushed against their faces.
A/N [2]: I haven't written anything for a long while, so I hope this little fic is readable (*´･ω･)
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