#Ominis fanfic

[holdmymallowsweet]

What are you doing here? 01

Ominis Gaunt x f!MC Word count: 4328, properly tagged on AO3

Chapter summary: Falling right between the awkwardness of their first encounter outside the Undercroft and their jaunt into the Scriptorium, Ominis and the new fifth year have an innocuous little meet up in the library. 

a/n: I’ve always wondered why Mc would offer to talk to Ominis about the Scriptorium, when their last interaction outside the Undercroft was so hostile, and I figured there could have been another conversation in between- not anything deep or meaningful, just a little chat that made it clear that they don’t hate each other. So that’s what this is, and although it’s now the first chapter/prologue of a slow-burn longfic, it was originally a oneshot and can still be read as such, if you prefer. Enjoy! And many, many thanks to @myokk for encouraging me to finally post this, you're the best ❤️

Masterlist || Chapter 02

Chapter 01 - Invitation

Sending her that letter might have been a mistake.

Ominis Gaunt had been sitting in the library for hours now, waiting for someone who, he now realised, in all likelihood would not come.

“I heard you running around aimlessly in the defence against the dark arts tower again today. If you enjoy my company that much, perhaps you would like to join me in the library this evening. I’ll wait.”

It was supposed to be a playful way of telling her he was not angry anymore, a sort of peace offering after he had yelled at her outside the Undercroft. 

It was only after he’d sent the letter that he realised it probably sounded presumptuous and rude beyond belief. Words on parchment couldn’t tell the reader what tone of voice they’d like to be read in, at least not until someone invented a spell for that, but it was too late to take it back.

He sighed. Honestly, he could not remember what possessed him to write the blasted thing in the first place. It had been a whim, a result of his frustration and loneliness when he heard he’d be spending another evening alone because Sebastian had gotten himself detention again. He was not usually that bold, and she was practically a stranger.

They did happen to share a best friend in Sebastian though, so one could hardly blame him for trying to get to know her. In fact, it might be long overdue.

At least that was the excuse he’d use if anyone asked. Or the one he told himself, to be honest.

The truth was, she intrigued him. It took him some time to realise it, but now that he did, he couldn’t let go of the feeling. If Sebastian was to be believed, she was curious about him too, or at least she had been, for a fleeting moment- before his temper got the better of him and he took his frustrations about Sebastian’s betrayal out on her.

Ominis sighed again and ran his hand through his hair.

Someone from across the table shushed him, and his face twitched in slight annoyance.

Oh, he really hoped they’d be gone by the time she showed up, whoever they were.

If she showed up.

By now, it seemed more likely that he’d stay here sulking by his lonesome until it was time to walk back to the dungeons, perhaps facing a bemused Sebastian who’d already know where he’d been. The two of them seemed incapable of keeping secrets from one another, after all.

That would ultimately be the proper punishment for his unreasonable jealousy, her rejection delivered by his best friend.

He’d come to the library with every intention of writing the assigned essay for Herbology, determined not to care too much about whether she’d take him up on his invitation, but it was a lost cause. His self-spelling quill wouldn’t work properly unless he concentrated on the precise words he wanted to put on the parchment, but with his head filled with thoughts of the new fifth year and the undefined nature of whatever relationship they did or didn’t have, all he had managed to write so far was an embarrassing mess.

Ominis considered writing with his own hand, but thought better of it. He could, of course. He’d make notes or short letters without his enchanted quill regularly, but writing an entire essay without being able to tell when the lines would inadvertently run into one another was a daunting task. He’d have to use twice as much parchment as anyone else, and he already felt sorry for Professor Garlick, if she’d have to decipher the mess.

Finally, he decided to just give it up. The door opened, and once again, he strained his ears. He was able to recognize her footsteps by now. Not her, just some unfortunate chap getting chewed out by Madam Scribner for returning his books late.

He was starting to feel ridiculous.

It felt like hours since he’d hurried through the castle, almost slipping on the wet fallen leaves covering the stairs when he left the owlery. Heart thumping with excitement, he’d even made sure to sit at a table where he would, hopefully, be seen by her as soon as she walked in, but far enough away from the librarian to have a conversation without being reprimanded for disturbing the peace and quiet.

Actually, if he hadn’t been so concerned that she might not see him and leave, or that he might miss her coming in, he would have preferred a table in the farthest corner on the second floor, away from prying eyes. She was still the talk of the school and gathered attention wherever she went, and “What is she doing with Gaunt?” was not something he wanted to hear whispered in the corridors.

Thankfully, it was one of the last warm and sunny days before the autumn chill fully set in, so most students were happy to make the most of it and took their work outside. Even Cressida Blume still seemed determined to let Madam Scribner forget her face (not that she would), and he hadn’t heard any other classmate of theirs either. 

Sebastian’s detention was pointless busy work as usual- scrubbing or cleaning or something of the sort. Truthfully, Ominis had ceased to pay attention when his friend complained about his punishments long ago. Whatever it was, it kept him far away from the library- no one was foolish enough to try and “punish” Sebastian by letting him get his hands on even more books.

Not that it mattered whether they knew the curious onlookers or not. She was still the object of everyone’s interest and admiration, and with the way things were going, that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. Not while she was so eager and endearing, always willing to drop everything the second someone needed something from her.

Right, it wasn’t like her to deny a request from a fellow student. She’d usually jump at the chance to do someone a favour, even if it came from someone she’d never seen before, even if it was much more bothersome than studying in the library for an hour or two.

So why wasn’t she here?

She wouldn’t have shown anyone his letter, would she? Unless she didn’t have to, if the owl reached her at an inopportune time, Merlin knows who else might have read it over her shoulder.

Ominis could imagine it, them sitting in a circle in the Hufflepuff girl’s dormitory, passing his letter around, seemingly teasing her about it in a playful attempt to get her to be wary of him. Until her curiosity would get the better of her and she’d ask them why precisely they found him so disagreeable. He shuddered. 

According to Sebastian, she already knew. She knew, and didn’t care. 

According to Sebastian, she also felt apologetic and regretful about their last encounter, much like him.

And if that was the truth- he couldn’t be entirely sure it was, but if it was, why wasn’t she here? Ominis tapped his quill against the parchment, piercing tiny holes into it and probably soaking the table underneath with ink. 

He was slowly but surely getting annoyed now. If she was as regretful about invading the Undercroft as Sebastian had made it seem, she should have pounced at the chance to meet up with him and make things right.

Of course, that had been weeks ago, so she might have gotten over it by now. Still, he wasn’t good enough for her to at least show up and quietly do her homework on the opposite side of the table? It wasn’t as if she didn’t have any work to do. She always did, with all the extra assignments the Professors threw at her to help her catch up, and even if by some miracle she didn’t, it wouldn’t hurt her to simply study, for once.

She could have come. Ominis frowned. Unless she actually couldn’t.

Notorious troublemaker and rule breaker that she was, he’d often half jokingly wondered when her recklessness would come to bite her in the arse, only it wasn’t unthinkable, was it?

Her duelling skills didn’t make her invincible, it was entirely possible that she was lying dead, or dying, somewhere on the cold forest floor. Small animals and insects already crawling under her robes and the scarf she always insisted on wearing, slowly devouring her corpse while a confused owl pecked at her, trying to get her cold hands to take his stupid, embarrassing letter. 

Ominis took a deep, steadying breath in an attempt to squash the slowly rising dread.

Stop it. She was  fine, she had other things to do, or she thought she was in trouble with him again and didn’t feel like being chastised and insulted all evening. It was annoying that she didn’t even want to find out what he wanted from her- nothing, really, except perhaps a chance to clear the air- but he had no right to complain, he was the one who messed things up.

And his annoyance was merely a way to mask his fear of rejection.

He slumped down, his forehead hitting the table with a soft thud. Ears filled with the sounds of soft footsteps, turned pages and scratching quills, ink from his quill staining his fingertips but nothing to really occupy his mind in her stead.

Why couldn’t he have spent a few more minutes to rewrite that letter, although one could barely call it a letter- the note, why couldn’t he have tried to sound a bit more friendly and inviting? Then again, even a second longer might have caused him to rethink the whole thing, keeping him from sending it at all.

All things considered, that would have been a blessing in disguise, saving him from making an absolute fool of himself.

He’d heard it countless times from the Sallow twins, trying to console him in his moments of self-doubt; that he was a good person, a good friend, that he was fun to be with, but it’s not like she’d ever seen that side of him.

The two of them would make an odd, unlikely combination, but he wanted to get to know her, be near her. His invitation had been a final act of desperation- or perhaps insanity- a desire to hold on to the strange but comforting, tender feeling that rose in his chest whenever he heard her voice in class or her footsteps in the hallways nowadays.

At the very least, he wanted to make sure there was no lingering resentment between them.

The library door opened again, and the next sound to reach his ears suddenly made his head feel blissfully empty. 

It was her voice, and he instantly straightened his back and cocked his head to the side to listen better as she greeted the librarian.

She made her way through the library, with eager steps, drawing closer until he could smell her signature scent, then until he could hear her breathing. Ominis noticed she was slightly out of breath.

Had she been in a hurry?

To meet him?

In spite of the confusion, the sick feeling inside him dissolved almost instantly, all thoughts of why she made him wait only to show up hours later forgotten. She cared. She cared at least enough to give him a bit of her time.

“Hello, Ominis,” she said.

He knew she wasn’t one for formalities, calling all of her classmates by their first name without invitation. 

What surprised him more was the lack of any bitterness or trepidation he’d expected to hear in her voice, instead, she sounded cheerful, excited, almost.

“There you are. Care to sit down?” he replied, trying his best to sound unbothered while ignoring the sudden flutter of nervousness in his stomach. The scraping of the chair from across the table told him she did.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting, I’m really sorry.”

Are you?

She sounded genuinely apologetic. Suddenly he realised, with another bout of nerves, that this would be the first time they actually had a proper conversation. Without any shouting. She was here for no other reason than to spend time with him, and more importantly, because he asked her to.

Ominis took perhaps a bit too long to answer, but she didn’t seem to notice. It sounded like she was busy taking her textbooks out.

“It’s all right. It’s not like I was just wasting time waiting for you, I was quite busy.” It was almost not a ridiculous lie, considering he’d been busy indeed, desperately craving her company, making a mess of his homework, hoping she’d care enough to show up. He hoped she wouldn’t think too hard about the messy, half empty parchments littering the table. 

It wouldn’t be fair to be upset about it. After all, he invited her on short notice and they never agreed on a time to meet.

“I left as soon as I got your owl, but it took me a while to get here,” she sighed, casually pushing aside his mess on the table to make space for her own.

Why? Where have you been?

Obviously not on school grounds.

“Why would that be?” he said, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

“I was near Aranshire.”

“Aranshire? What were you up to over there?” He raised his eyebrow. He knew it was one of the Hamlets, the one close to Hogsmeade station, if he wasn’t mistaken, but he couldn’t judge exactly how far away from the castle it was.

Oh, he had a bad feeling about this, and she, ever so perceptive, noticed.

“Nothing to be concerned about.” she said airily.

She doesn’t trust me.

Ominis knew he shouldn’t hold it against her. They barely knew each other, after all, and yet he couldn’t help the tiny stab of annoyance as she was lying to him yet again. If it had been Sebastian, she would have told him. 

Then again, Sebastian had never threatened to get her in trouble with the Headmaster.

“Anyway, on my way back something came up and I looked a bit dishevelled by the end of it, and it took me a while to sort that out. That’s why I’m late. I really am sorry.”

“You looked… dishevelled?”

She hummed in agreement, taking a moment to shuffle around pieces of parchment before answering properly. “Just a bit.”

“You do know I wouldn’t be able to tell,” he said with a smirk.

She laughed, and Ominis was almost disturbed by how much he liked the sound of it.

“Fair enough, I suppose, but others would, and I wouldn‘t want to give anyone a reason to stare, or… talk more about me than they already do.”

Ominis tensed. He’d always been aware and annoyed at how much the entire school seemed to gossip about her, but he’d never considered that she’d know, or how she felt about it. There was an odd sort of undertone in her voice.

He wondered yet again how much she knew, or guessed, about the things others said behind his back, when they thought he was out of earshot, always underestimating his hearing. They were careful when Sebastian was close, but they had no reason to hold back when it was just her.

So was she concerned about what the others might say if they saw them together? For her sake, or for his? He was beginning to feel sick again.

“Why did you look ‘a bit dishevelled’ in the first place?” he asked in an attempt to return to the original subject, and perhaps lighten the mood a bit.

“Well…” she hesitated for a moment. “I had a run in with some spiders.”

Oh no.

“Really, nothing to be concerned about.” She added quickly when he furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to say something.

If he had to guess, this wasn’t the first time something like that had happened- in fact he knew it wasn’t. Dragons, Trolls, Dark Wizards, now this- and Merlin knew what else in between. She almost seemed to enjoy it, always roaming around, curious to see what else she could take on.

That recklessness made him uneasy. He had spent the last four years with another one like that, and the two of them being best friends felt like pouring oil in a fire.

“Are you all right?”

“Of course I am. Nothing a bath and a Wiggenweld potion couldn’t fix,” she reassured him.

So you did get hurt.

Ominis frowned. He couldn’t smell any blood, and didn’t hear any strange whispers when she came in. She also didn’t sound as if she was in any pain, so she most likely wasn’t lying when she said she was fine now. Her having just taken a bath also explained why the scent of her soap was slightly stronger than usual and not mixed with the earthy, piney smell of the forest that always clung to her when she’d been roaming around the highlands.

“Are you all right?” she asked suddenly.

The question caught Ominis by surprise. “Certainly. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seem a bit tense. If there’s anything I can help you with…”

Even without sight, he could guess she was pausing to look at him expectantly. Merlin, did she think that’s why he asked her to meet him?

“No, I…” There were a lot of things he would have liked to say to her, and yet he couldn’t seem to find the right words.

He had to say something, though, because the silence between them as she waited for Ominis to finish his sentence was starting to feel oppressive.

“I’m fine,” he finally said, suddenly feeling self-conscious about how much he was stressing over what, to her, was a casual conversation she had with dozens of others on an average day.

For Merlin’s sake, they were classmates sitting in the library, making smalltalk.

Time to change the subject.

“Really though, what were you doing out there?” He tried his luck again.

“Just the usual.”

Ominis barely managed to suppress a frustrated sigh. “Which would be…?”

She seemed to consider him for a moment. The building frustration from her annoyingly vague answers must have been evident, and Ominis thought for a split second that he’d pushed too far.

“Nothing too exciting. Chatting to some of the locals. Looking for good spots to collect potion ingredients, that sort of thing.”

“Sharp must be very proud of you.”

She laughed that melodic, infuriatingly infectious laugh of hers, and Ominis was both relieved and grateful that the atmosphere lightened considerably again, even as the annoying git who shushed him earlier made a disapproving noise. If she’d heard it, she’d decided to ignore it, and Ominis was more than happy to follow her lead.

“I’m not doing it to please Professor Sharp, I quite enjoy potion making- unlike some of us,” she teased.

“I don’t-“

“Don’t bother denying it, it’s not like I’m imagining the sour look on your face every time I look at you during Potions.”

So she hadn’t been ignoring him, even after everything that had happened. His insides squirmed pleasantly. Perhaps she was still curious about him, after all.

Ominis cleared his throat.

“So, had any success in finding those potion ingredients?” he asked, awkwardly attempting to keep the conversation going.

“Hmm. I’m running out of Horklump juice, but there weren’t any around. I did find some Ashwinder eggs though, at an abandoned poacher camp nearby,” she rambled on absentmindedly, still shuffling around her pieces of parchment. “I’ve always been curious about them, you know. I’d like to see one someday.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re dangerous criminals, you know.”

She held back a laugh. “I meant an Ashwinder- as in the creature, not the poachers. I’ve seen quite enough of them.” 

“...it was a joke.”

She giggled. “I’ve been thinking about how I always collect their eggs as potion ingredients, but I’ve never actually seen one,” she mused.

Well, they weren’t exactly the sociable sort, even for snakes.

Ominis had met an Ashwinder once, in the gardens behind his family home, after it had slithered out of an abandoned fire his older brother had been playing around with before he’d wandered off, bored. Excited to have someone to talk to, someone who he’d hoped wouldn’t either dismiss him or use the opportunity for some casual cruelty, Ominis had bent down to greet the little snake. It had told him to sod off and slithered away to lay its eggs. Back then, he’d been sulking the whole day over it.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards.

Shame, he thought ruefully. There he actually had a somewhat funny story about the very thing she was interested in, and he couldn’t even tell her. Not without revealing secrets about himself that he’d rather keep tightly guarded.

“Have you ever heard one?” She inquired.

Ominis stiffened instantly. So much for his tightly guarded secrets. He really would have to wring Sebastian’s neck one of these days. “What do you mean by that?”

“I only meant, well…,” she answered sheepishly, “… you obviously wouldn’t have seen one, and I know you have good hearing. Sorry, did I say something wrong?” She was obviously taken aback.

“No, of course not. I’m sorry.” He relaxed. So Sebastian hadn’t told her that, at least. He cleared his throat. “You would have to be lucky to see one. They are born from unattended magical fires and only live for about an hour, barely long enough to lay their eggs.”

“Ah.” She was fumbling with her quill, running her fingers along the feathered edges, from the sound of it, seemingly deep in thought, and thankfully not angry at him for snapping at her. “If they’re born from fires, what are they laying eggs for?”

“I think that’s a question better asked of Professor Howin,” Ominis replied. “You’re the one taking Beasts class, not me.”

“So… could I just make a fire somewhere, ‘unattend’ it and wait for one to come out?”

He gave her an amused snort, not sure if she was being serious. “Are you taking a page out of Peeve’s book, trying to burn down the castle?” Brows furrowed, he still flashed her a warm smile as she had a fit of giggles, and a pleasant warmth spread through his body.

“Perhaps I should take a page out of Peeve’s book, that’d make us even,” she said.

Ominis was waiting for her to explain that rather puzzling statement, but she didn’t.

“Meaning…?”

“Never mind.”

He brushed it off. This was all he’d wanted, sitting together, having a pleasant conversation, laughing about each other’s jokes. And yet it didn’t feel quite right, there was still a wall between them, made up of secrecy and lies.

She finally seemed to have started on her work, the scratching of her quill adding to the symphony of the rustling paper and soft hums and whispers surrounding them.

Apologise for yelling at her about the Undercroft.

Ominis wanted to, he really did, and if he was ever going to, now was the time- but he was still embarrassed just thinking about it and he didn’t want to ruin their first decent conversation by reminding her of how horrible he’d been. It might have been easier to talk about if she was the one to bring it up, and he quietly wondered why she didn’t.

Through the ambient sounds, he heard Madam Scribner get up from behind her desk, about to make a final pass through her sacred halls. Reminding students not to leave a mess, picking unwilling volunteers to tidy the mess of the ones who didn’t listen amongst the stragglers who couldn’t flee fast enough, he was almost tempted to make sure it’d be the two of them.

It wouldn’t be fair, though.

Based on her account of how she’d spent her evening so far and his own idle contemplations, they’d both need to dedicate the remaining hours of the day to schoolwork, and she’d already dropped her previous plans as soon as she received his owl- a courtesy far beyond anything he deserved.

They were out of time.

“We should probably leave.”

There she was, slipping through his fingers again. If only she’d arrived half an hour earlier, maybe he could have gathered his nerve and apologised, at least.

“Wait, weren’t we going to do our homework? I haven’t even started, to be honest.”

Ominis smirked. “The library is about to close, you know. I’ve been here for hours before you came in.” Not that he’d been very productive in that time.

“Oh.” She sounded defeated- and perhaps even a bit disappointed?

That might have been wishful thinking on his part.

“I guess I’ll head back to the common room then. If I’m lucky, Adelaide’s still up and I can copy from her.”

He let out a small chuckle. “Cheating on our assignments, are we?”

“Oh, well. I can’t always be a saint,” she said cheekily.

For a second, Ominis had the urge to walk her back to her common room, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her. It felt like it would be too much, walking around the castle with her, giving others the opportunity to make assumptions about a relationship that he himself didn’t yet fully understand. 

“Well, don’t let me keep you,” he said instead. He gathered his things, ignoring the growing regret and guilt.

“See you, Ominis. And… if you enjoyed my company enough, perhaps we could do this again?”

He felt his cheeks grow hot. “Sure.”

She laughed. “Cheers.”

And just like that, she was gone.

Her scent and her laughter still lingered and he was left wondering what, if anything, this little get together had accomplished.

Ominis could not have known this would be their last proper conversation before the three of them entered the Scriptorium.

more a/n: Before the Scriptorium though, the next chapter will be a little trip down memory lane, featuring the earful Sebastian got for showing her the Undercroft. It’s finally here! I started working on this a while ago, so if you’ve read this far, thank you! Like I kind of hinted at in the beginning, the concept of this fic is basically “what could they have been up to ‘off-screen’, if canon events stay exactly the same” (up to and including the fact that no one ever mentions mc’s name, we’ll see if I live to regret this decision), and I don’t know if that’s interesting to anyone but myself, but I’d be happy if anyone wants to be along for the ride.  Writing from Ominis’ pov is a challenge and I try my best to keep in mind that he’s blind when describing things (so don’t expect visual descriptions of anything, ever), but hopefully without constantly drawing attention to it, I hope I managed to do that respectfully and realistically. That said, if anything feels off to you or you have questions, feel free to let me know. And finally, English is not my first language. I proofread and edit everything I write to hell and back but if I still misspelt anything or obviously misused a word, let me know so I can fix it (just be nice about it). There’s a lot more I wanted to put in the authors’ notes but I think it’s already rambly enough, so I’ll leave it at that. Until next time? (I’ve written a few chapters ahead and I’ll try to upload regularly, but realistically, I probably won’t manage it more frequently than once every 1.5 to 2 weeks)

[underthenightskydreamsneverdie]

Precious Moments

Summary: Ominis uses Polyjuice to witness special moments with Sebasitan and f!MC 

Warmings: This fic is sweeter than anything Ominis could ever find at Honeydukes. Might even make you cry. 

Pairings: Nothing but the sweet love between Sebastian x f!MC x Ominis in this beauty 

A/N: I may have ugly cried while writing this and if you want to ugly cry too, here is the song that helped shape it 

Ominis felt around on the table, picked up the vial, and slipped it into his jacket pocket, it’s home everyday for the last month. She was due any day now and he wanted to be ready. 

He still wasn’t used to the awful smell he got a whiff of every morning when filling the vial, not to mention the lumpy texture, but it was worth it to see them, the two, soon to be three, loves of his life. 

He would never forget the first time he used the Polyjuice Potion. They had discovered the potion recipe in the spring of their seventh year, made a hasty plan for brewing it in the Undercroft, praying it would be ready before the end of the year. A week before graduation, MC had found him, told him it was time if he still wanted to do it. It had been a dizzying day. He felt more than a little awkward turning into his best friend, hearing his voice when he spoke, but one look in Sebastians eyes and he knew he would never want to transform into anyone else. He loved seeing the world through the eyes of the man he loved. Eyes that he got lost in, memorizing every detail, every speck of color, the way they stared back at him so lovingly.  

They had spent a few hours wandering the castle together before Sebastian and MC had willingly let him drag they back to the Undercroft, telling them the dizzying splendor of the outside world was nothing compared to the two of them. They spent hours indulging in each others bodies that night, Ominis keeping his eyes open for all of it, as difficult as they made it for him at times, drinking in the sight of their reactions to his touch, memorizing the looks of pleasure that accompanied the sounds they made as they came undone around him, some of his favorite sounds in the world. Far too soon for his liking the potion wore off, the last thing he saw, MCs and Sebastians naked bodies sprawled out next to him, their sleepy eyes gazing at him lovingly, seared into his mind forever. The moment he was himself again he wished he could do it all over, he would never get enough of them.

“There you are” MCs voice said softly “As fun as it was to be taken by two Sebastians at once, I missed your body, Omi.” 

The second time he had used the Polyjuice was their wedding day. After the small group of friends they’d invited had left, he pulled a small vial from his pocket. 

“Sebastian, love, will you allow me the honor of borrowing your eyes once more?”  

“Of course, darling.” Sebastian stepped forward, pulling a couple strands of hair from his head, carefully dropping them into the vial before leaning in to kiss his husband. 

“Wait, I want a kiss too!” MCs voice called out quickly as he raised the vial to his lips.

Laughing, he lowered the vial, pulling her into him. “Anything for you, Little Dove.” As she pulled away he drank the potion, the familiar sensation of transforming overtaking him.  

“I will never get used to that feeling.” Sebastians voice once again conveyed his thoughts. He stood still, eyes closed for a moment, preparing himself. This dose of Polyjuice was much smaller than the one he had taken years ago. Determined not to waste what little time he had he pushed his emotions aside, wiling the tears already welling in his eyes to hold out, he needed a clear first look at his spouses. 

Slowly opening his eyes, squinting against the setting sun, he took them in. They were mesmerizing, radiating a joy he could almost see without the potion. He reached out a hand for theirs, the sun glinting off their wedding bands as they clasped hands. The bands had been MCs idea, her inspiration the snake tattoos they’d given each other after graduation, three thin pieces of metal, one gold for her, one black for Sebastian, and one silver for him, woven together, forever inseparable. The theme continued on their clothing, MCs cream dress covered in pale gold snakes, Sebastians black silk vest covered in deep green snakes, his own silver vest covered in bright white snakes. 

“Come closer, loves, let me see the ways I’ve felt your bodies change over the years.”

The changes in Sebastian were more obvious, his face thinner, more angular, covered in short scruffy facial hair. He was taller now, even taller than Ominis, his shoulders broader, muscular arms straining against his rolled up sleeves as he threw an arm around MCs neck. 

His eyes moved to MCs figure, her beauty making him weak in the knees. 

“Oh, Little Dove, Sebastian has told me you’ve been getting more beautiful by the day, but his words have not done you justice.” A slight blush broke out on her cheeks. She had grown taller too, just enough to rest her forehead against his chin. Her soft hair, which he more often than not woke up entangled in, flowed down her back. 

“Did you see these, Omi?” Sebastian asked him as he let his hand fall causally onto her breast before giving it a squeeze, laughing at her reaction. “Hey, I’m your husband now MC, I can do that anytime I like.”

Ominis made quite a show of taking advantage of Sebastians taller form, slowly peeking down her dress at her breasts, now a fair bit larger than the last time he'd seen them, the soft mounds peeking out of the deep neckline of her dress.

“MC, are you not wearing anything under there?” he teased as he caught a quick flash of her bare nipples. “What about down here?” He hadn’t wanted things to get sexual before he was himself again, but he couldn't resist seeing her in something special, knowing she had picked it out just for him and Sebastian. He slid a hand up her thigh, and moaned as he felt the soft fabric covering her butt. 

Lace. His favorite. He removed his hand from her soft skin, grabbing for her hand.

“Darling, let’s go inside, I need to see what you chose to wear for your husbands tonight.” 

Chuckling as Sebastian growled out “Yessss, finnnnally” he lead them into their little cottage. The moment they cleared the threshold, he dropped to his knees, pushed up her dress and pressed his face into her thigh, the white lace soft against his nose. He pressed soft kisses against all the skin he could reach, getting so lost in her he almost forgot he was meant to be taking in the sight of her. He leaned back, spinning her around, hands immediately slipping under her panties, giving her ass a squeeze. 

Merlin’s beard she’s sexy. 

“Sebastian, wait, please.” He watched Sebastian pull his lips away from MCs neck with a moan, the hand he’d slid between her legs freezing in place. “I’m sorry my loves, I want this to continue, Merlin's beard do I want this to continue, but would you mind if we waited until I’m myself again?” 

“Of course not, Ominis, we’d much rather wait too” MC said, pulling him up to her face before fixing her dress. “We love being seen by you, but we love you for you even more.” She took his hands, pressing them to her chest. 

“How about you boys come dance with your wife?”

Sebastian stepped close, wrapping his arms around Ominis and MC. They spent twenty minutes holding each other close, laughing, and dancing before the Polyjuice potion wore off, Ominis’ eyes going black. The moment he was fully himself again, using his own voice, he said 

“My beautiful wife, my handsome husband, thank you for this. It’s been a absolute privilege to look upon you again.”  Pulling them each in for a deep kiss, he let the tears he had fought so hard against fall. Their hands pulled him to the sofa, and as they settled onto either side of him, their own tears of joy fell. 

Ominis was pulled back into the present as MC let out a loud groan followed by an odd splashing sound. 

“Ominis! I think it’s time!” Her voice was excited and panicked as he jumped off the sofa, internally freaking out. Why are you freaking out, we’ve gone over what to do dozens of times, pull yourself together Ominis! 

The next twenty minutes were a blur as he sent for Sebastian and prepared everything for the birth as he’d been instructed to by Mrs. Weasley, MCs not so quiet screaming making it hard to concentrate. A loud crack announced Sebastian's arrival, Ominis for once glad he had never perfected his landings, the noise bringing him great comfort today. 

Sebastian rushed through the door, almost breaking it down in his haste, followed closely by Mrs. Weasley, who was already telling MC what to do. Ominis had always liked her, she had always showed genuine love for them and support for their unconventional relationship, so when she reached out to offer her congratulations on their pregnancy and of course her help in any way should they need it, Ominis had written her back explaining his desire to use the Polyjuice potion the day their child was born. Mrs. Weasley, she later told him, had cried upon reading his letter, and written back instantly, insisting on helping MC deliver the baby. Over the next six months they made a plan for a home birth, Mrs. Weasley confident in her skills to assist, she had, after all, given birth to all of her children at home and helped three grandchildren into the world at this point in her life. As they quickly became close friends, exchanging letters and visiting each other many times, Ominis could think of no one better to help deliver his child.  

“Alright, sweetheart, lets get you on the bed. Ominis, you still plan on taking your potion, yes? Alright, then Sebastian why don't you sit behind MC, let her rest her back against you, there you go, that's perfect. Ominis come sit here next to them, I’ll let you know when to take the potion, okay? Don’t want to take it too soon in case the little one wants to take its time coming out. Oh, and boys, you may want to leave your hands out of her reach, Mr. Weasley ended up with a broken thumb when our oldest was born. He’s never let me live it down. Alright, now we wait.”

Wait they did, every second of it killing Ominis. He discovered Mrs. Weasley had been right about where he put his hands, them automatically going to MCs thigh during her first contraction, only for them both to end up screaming in pain. He moved closer to Sebastian, his arms around both of their shoulders, out of danger. Every once in a while Mrs. Weasley would check something, he had no idea what, but whatever it was still wasn’t ready. He could feel Sebastian sweating through his shirt, probably from MC digging her nails into his leg every few minutes, could hear him kissing her forehead, telling her she was doing great, and looked more beautiful to him than she ever had.

By the time whatever Mrs. Weasley was checking on was ready Ominis was a nervous wreck, MCs screams setting him on edge. Should it be taking this long? What if something was wrong?   

“Alright, dear, it’s time to start pushing. Don’t worry, your body knows what to do, just push when it tells you to.”

The screams that emanated from MC from that point on made Ominis so worried he had to stand up and pace next to the bed. After what felt like a lifetime, Mrs. Weasley told him it was time to take the Polyjuice. He pulled the vial from his jacket, downed the awful liquid, and doubled over from the transformation. Not sparing his eyes a second to adjust this time, he threw his head up, eyes opening wide as he heard the first cry of life from his child. 

“Oh, it’s a boy!” Mrs. Weasley cried cheerfully. Looking up at the second Sebastian now in the room, a startled sound coming from her lips, she smiled. “Ominis would you like to hand him over to Mom?”

“Y-yes, I-I think I would.”

Taking the cloth wrapped bundle from her, a laugh strangled with emotion coming from him, he stared down at his son. Tiny whisp of brown hair topped his head, blue eyes stared back at him, one tiny hand already wiggling free from the blanket, reaching for him. 

Ominis slowly sat down on the bed, gently cradling the baby in his arms as his spouses leaned over his shoulder to peek at their son. He knew he should pass the boy to MC, should check to be sure she was alright, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from his son. His son! Only when he heard soft sobs behind him, felt Sebastians body shaking could he tear his gaze away. 

His eyes fell upon MC first. Sebastian was right, she had never been more beautiful than in this moment, sweat covered, disheveled, exhausted, and eyes full of tears, she was breathtaking. He gently shifted the baby into her waiting arms, taking her into his own arms as best he could. He pushed a piece of her damp hair off her forehead, covering the spot with a soft kiss. He could tell her how amazing she was later, this moment was about their boy. 

Turning his head to face Sebastian, he smiled. Ominis may be biased but he thought his husband had never been more beautiful than in this moment also, pure joy on his face, tears openly flowing, staring lovingly into the face of his baby boy. 

“Sebby, do you want to hold him, love?” MC asked gently. 

“I think I might need a few more minutes first, damn emotions, plus I’m enjoying seeing my wife hold our son.” Sebastian responded, placing a kiss on her head. “What should we name him?” 

“What if...what if we name him Andrew?” MC tilted her head up to Sebastian, making sure he understood. He did. A fresh sob and an almost imperceptible nod the only answer he could manage.  

They sat together, snuggled up as a family, basking in their love for one another and the beauty of their little one for quite a while before MC asked Sebastian if he was ready to hold Andrew.

“I’m getting a little tired, loves.”

“Why don’t you boys take him into the living room, while I help MC freshen up, and tidy up the bed.” Mrs. Weasleys soft voice said from the end of the bed, where she had sat quietly crying and watching the little family, startling Ominis. He had all but forgot she was there. 

He looked up at her, smiling, “Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for everything.” Before he knew it he was on his feet, hugging the sweet older woman. 

“You’re welcome, dear. Now go on, us women have work to do.”

Sebastian and Ominis sat huddled together on the sofa, passing Andrew back and forth, talking to him and laughing when he did absolutely anything, the love they had for him unlike anything they had ever felt. Too soon Mrs. Weasley came into the room, telling them that MC was clean, comfortable, and ready to see them, her three boys. 

“Now, if you boys will excuse me, I feel the need to drop in on my own children before heading home. Congratulations again, Dads, he’s beautiful.” 

They entered the bedroom to find MC already laying down. Gently positioning Andrew down on the bed between MC and himself, Sebastian lay next to her. Ominis took up his usual place on her right. With one last look at the three of them, he leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes, voluntarily letting the blackness in. 

Would he use the Polyjuice potion again? Maybe. On a far off wedding anniversary, or during Andrews first Christmas break from Hogwarts, perhaps. But for now, he was happy, enough precious moments seen to fill him with joy for a lifetime. 

[ragepuff]

Ominis’ Congenital Blindness

I have a hot take/head canon for Ominis’ being blind. And I’ve been dying to share this out and see what y’all think.

I grew up with a blind teacher throughout elementary school. He was born with congenital blindness, which is what Ominis has because he was born blind. He described that he could see very blurry figures of people when they moved and some color depending on how bright his surround was . I remember he said the only way he would see nothing but black/nothing at all is if he had no eyes. Because the eye balls are made to sense light and the brain translates that light to images and color.

So I’m just saying it would be nice to see more detail’s like that within the fandom because blindness doesn’t always mean they can’t sense the shifting of light or if it’s day or night time.

I could also be completely crazy or way too invested in details for no reason…

[polly-sly]

guys when you read fics with “Y/N” in it do you really put your name in this gap while reading?

cause I just keep saying “y/n y/n y/n y/n” in my head. this is awkward but putting my real name there is even more awkward for me ://

Or maybe I have troubles with imagination 💭

[hollowwrites]

What Do You Propose? - Omi

Sebastian and Garreth here

Summary - I’m feeling some kind of way lately so expect a lot of these…How the bois would propose!!

This is basically me justifying the stupid ship name I made for own character. Sue me.

Sorry for using my MCs all the time I’m just so in love with them. Replace with Y/N or MC if you want.

Warnings - None, Just Cutesy Proposal stuff if you dont like that sort of thing

Word Count - 1006

Ominis

Sebastian had gotten engaged!

What a wonderful day to celebrate with friends.

…unless you’re Evelyn.

Evelyn and Ominis had been together much longer than Sebastian and his partner and yet here he was…getting married before them.

She was happy for him, truly but…there was that niggling feeling at the back of her head that made her bitter and resentful.

Ominis and Evelyn said their goodbyes at the end of the night and walked back home in uncomfortable silence.

“Evelyn…is everything okay? Ominis broke the silence first, not standing for another second of this cold, dark and now silent existence he found himself in.

“Yes, everything is fine” she smiles weakly despite his inability to see it. The act itself almost convincing herself that everything was okay. He offers her his hand and she sighs when she looks at his ring finger, and sees it’s bare. Her stride slowed to a stop. “Actually, no, everything is not alright. Ominis, do you still love me?” She already knew the answer, and perhaps she was being a tad dramatic…but it’s how she felt.

Ominis pauses. A look of confusion flashes across his face.

"I… is this a trick question? Of course I love you."

“Then why aren’t we engaged?” She felt as though she was about to cry and she steadied her breathing so he wouldn’t know. It’s not the first time she’d tricked Ominis this way.

"You know the answer." He said flatly turning to her with his own expression of sadness. "If we were to get married, your life would be completely different. Gaunt is not a name that you want...believe me"

“I know…” she murmured. She’d witnessed this first hand. People talking about the Gaunts’ on the streets of Hogsmeade, the looks of fear she had to endure whenever he introduced himself. It pained her that people thought of him that way.

But she loved him.

And she wanted to be his.

“Couldn’t we…” she took a step closer to him and ran her hands across his chest pleadingly “…keep it secret? Or you could take my name? Or we could make our own. I don’t want to marry you for your name or…or for a wedding I just…” her voice faded as she realised this was the fifth time they’d had this conversation…and she didn’t expect it to end any differently. She sighed and took her hands away from him. “…let’s just go home” she muttered.

Before she could walk away, he took her wrists in his hands, bringing them back to his chest.

“…I’d never thought about changing my name…” he admitted "

Ominis smiled slightly. An idea seemingly crossing his mind.

“I like the idea of starting a new family with you…it would keep me safe and more importantly, it would keep you safe” he said softly as the grip on her wrists grew a little tighter.

“What if…” she smiled and traced little patterns onto his chest with her finger. “…we combine our names, to make something better. Like Gallow or-“

“-Haunt” Ominis smirked a small laugh escaping his lips. “Ominis and Evelyn Haunt”

“I like it” Evelyn grinned, her nose crinkling as she grew more and more giddy. “We could easily be mistaken for Hogwarts ghosts with names like that”

Ominis chuckled and leaned down to kiss her on her forehead.

"I think that would work” he smirked “…but only one problem remains."

“What’s that?”

"The problem is..." He took both of her hands in his pressing the palm of one to his chest and the other to his lips. She could feel the steady thump of his heart. The man was discussing completely changing his future and name and yet was as calm as the most docile of mooncalves. "I don't have a ring." He smiled and laughed softly. “…and I doubt you have one tucked away in that bag of yours”

“No but…” She pulled her hands away, patting her pockets and searching through her bag. “Oh…you can use this…” she ripped the metal band off a loose potion bottle and handed it to him.

Ominis took the ring with one hand feeling the metal between his fingers over and over before taking her hand…

…and lowering to one knee.

"Evelyn, Would you do me the honour of starting a new family with me? Would you continue to make me a better man? Would spend the rest of eternity with me? Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears and she grinned uncontrollably. With the utmost of care, Ominis slid the metal ring onto Evelyn's ring finger, her hands shaking like a leaf. It was huge and would definitely fall off as soon as she moved, but she would take this ring over a diamond any day.

He stood back up towering over her until he picked her up and twirled her around. His chest vibrated against hers as they laughed

"I love you, Evelyn” He set her down though his hands never left her waist “I’m sorry this took so long…I-“

“I love you too!!” She stared at her hand in disbelief, still shaking “I can’t quite believe it…I was starting to think this would never happen”

He gazed down at her, his unseeing eyes sympathetic.

“Please know it was never my lack of love that kept me from you. I just feared that…I'm sorry I made you worry. Please trust me when I say that I love and care about you. I just have a duty... to protect you" he shook his head “…it’s no matter now”

“And I, you” she wrapped her arms around him, smiling into neck “It’s just us now”

It took just three days for Ominis to buy a ring.

A proper one.

It was a simple silver band with a small perfectly round emerald in the centre. The small amount of filigree that crept up the sides of the stone kept it elegant and proper.

Though she still wore the bottle ring on a chain around her neck.

Masterlist

[subastian-swallows]

Dark Whispers, Light Vows

CHAPTER ONE: BREATHE 

★ Prologue

Chapter two ★

Pairing: Dark!Sebastian x AurorMC x AurorOminis - Love Triangle Fic

Words: 5.4k

Warnings: Pining, some angst, memories

Summary: “In a race against time, (Auror’s) Alice and Ominis must work together to recapture their former friend Sebastian, an escapee from Azkaban. But when Sebastian begins to use a mysterious new form of magic to haunt Alice’s dreams, she’s torn between bringing him to justice or helping him escape, risking everything in the process. Love, friendship, and the battle between light and dark intertwine as Alice must decide which path she will take.”  

A/N: Here we go! Prepare your hearts, I wish to rip them out (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)

“When your fear touches someone’s pain, it becomes pity. When your love touches someone’s pain, it becomes compassion.”— Stephen Levine

Alice never really liked oranges, the acidic taste leaving nothing to admire, apart from the stinging sensation that often seeped its way into the cuts on her lips, but Sebastian liked oranges and so she welcomed how tender they left her skin. 

Even after everything, Alice refused to give them up. They sat in a bowl upon her table and stayed there until they grew mouldy, which she then just simply threw out and bought some more. It was a constant cycle she had, to feel close to a fleeting lover, one which no longer resembled the boy she had fallen in love with and despite the desperation of holding onto something so foolish, Alice continued to buy those stupid oranges. And yet, she couldn’t even remember the last time she had actually eaten one of them and as she rested her palms harshly against the edge of her table, she just looked at the bowl and refused to move. It must have been hours now, her eyes still glued to the bowl, but she felt frozen, her body almost stuck in some sort of trance as if she had been petrified. 

She no longer recalled the past, as if her subconscious knew it was better to just block it out and simply cast it into the shadows with the rest of the trauma she had collected along with it. But, you see, Sebastian never did like staying in the shadows, he was much too brazen for that and it seemed that even in memory, he held her trapped. Alice knew he was going to be suffocating from the beginning and yet she never refused him, never wished anything more for him, except the small glimmer of happiness she had no right to promise. But it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down and it seemed that even her love had reached its end, slipping easily through the cracks as Sebastian disappeared deeper into the darkness.   

He did seem generally mournful for killing his uncle. The flash of fear etched permanently into his expression, as if he had a sign attached to his forehead with the word killer written manically across it. But despite the regret he felt, Alice was tired and her desperate pleas for him felt meaningless and so she let him go. Ominis told her in passing, when Sebastian had been removed from the castle, his wand snapped and although he wished to see her, Alice refused, finding comfort in the girl’s bathroom as she threw up into the evening. 

She would have stayed there too, if it wasn’t for Ominis forcing Imelda to drag her out of the stall, while she apologised stiffly in the process. The only issue was the fact that Imelda was rather strong and when Alice pulled away as Imelda attempted to hand her over, Ominis almost seemed disappointed she was fighting him. This alone made her see red. His feeble attempts at keeping Alice from doing something stupid, only seemed to push her further from his grasp and so he simply embraced her, letting her scream at him, until she passed out. This became their normal for most of their sixth year, Ominis having to battle Alice as she suffered through nightmares and violent outbursts, as if she felt responsible for everything and it seemed nothing could be done. 

Eventually, it settled down enough that Alice was almost numb to it all, only until whispers in the halls resurfaced and suddenly noses were broken and she was once again in the headmasters office. In their seventh year, Ominis and Alice grew closer than she had thought possible and she was his first kiss. It was an awkward-what-am-I-actually-missing, sort of kiss and despite his overly nervous reaction to the idea, he was surprisingly perfect at it from the get go, just like everything else about him. They stayed friends though, Alice regrettably still not ready to open her heart fully and although it was obvious, Ominis was disappointed, he never pushed her for something more. He was too good, too pure, like sunshine on a bright summer’s day, he felt like comfort.

But, Alice had found comfort in the dark. Its hold on her like invisible vines, slithering around every inch of her and although she didn’t want to admit it, it was clear her heart would forever belong in the shadows. Natty was the first to make a note of her dilemma, her observation a subtle attempt at making Alice see what was right in front of her and yet it proved to be fruitless. She had mentioned that the two boys in Alice’s life represented two sides of the same coin, light and dark, simply the embodiment of good versus evil and despite the obvious choice, Alice was far too attached to the dark.         

Years passed after graduation and things did get easier, or at least, that’s what Alice presented to her friends. She had become quite the actress, showing strength when needed, laughter when it was requested and she welcomed finally being left alone, as if her pain now hid too deep for anyone to notice. But Ominis noticed, he had spent far too much time holding her in moments of need, that nothing slipped by him and when the cheering of the crowd almost grew mute in the distance, he just held her closely. Alice needed space for a while, a year to be exact, never really settling in one spot and it was only after she received an owl from Ominis, that she finally agreed to meet him. 

The Ministry of Magic had requested Ominis to coax Alice into joining them, which they had been trying to do since she had left school, but something about it just felt wrong. Perhaps it had something to do with the darkness, which enveloped her much too quickly when she found herself at a standstill, but it sounded different coming from Ominis. He became an Auror straight after graduation, he fit in perfectly and he welcomed the respect that came with it, regardless of those that chastised him for his name. It was practically made for him, regal as he may be, Ominis was a brilliant wizard and it was uncommon not to see his name constantly printed in the fine print of the Daily Prophet. Alice however, didn’t feel the same way for herself, no matter how many officials requested her to reconsider and yet, when Ominis sat opposite her, she humoured him. 

He did always seem to know how to make her see reason, regardless of her stance on such things and Alice couldn’t help but mock herself quickly, when he actually accomplished his task. They became partners shortly after this. Their focus was on apprehending dark wizards around London, but more often than not, they returned home and when they did, it was only natural to stop in to see familiar faces. For a time, everything seemed perfect, Alice was keeping busy enough that the darkness seemed less inviting and Ominis welcomed the return of his friend, no matter his feelings.

But, life doesn’t tend to be easy. No, Alice should have known that and yet she had allowed herself to be happy, her first mistake and it appeared that it was most certainly not going to be her last.    

•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•

The knock on her door startled her, before she even looked away from the oranges and when she did push off from the table, Alice winced at how stiff her fingers had gotten. It had been a long time since her memories caught her off guard and yet when they did, Alice almost felt succumbed to them as if they overpowered everything else. The knock grew louder now, almost impatient and so she exhaled softly, rubbing her fingers and moved to acknowledge the intruder. And of course it was Ominis, it was always him. 

“Have you seen the Daily Prophet?” Ominis said, his voice soft and not at all matching the serious expression spread darkly over his features, but Alice’s focus was on how intensely he held the paper in his hand. “He escaped, Alice.” 

She didn’t speak right away, but she did let him inside. Closing the door softly behind him, Ominis simply threw the paper against the table. 

“He killed four guards,” Ominis continued, his head turning towards Alice, as he crossed his arms against his chest and when she looked at his face contort slightly, she could only hum in response. “Faris sent us an owl, you didn’t respond.”

“Is that why you’re here? For the Minister?” Alice asked, stepping past him to pick up the paper, refusing to look at the moving picture of an old friend, before she tossed it into the fireplace. “I can’t, Ominis. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” Ominis asked, his gaze following her voice closely and yet, she refused to look at him properly, walking into her kitchen for a glass of water. “This is our job, Alice.”  

Alice had dropped the glass at his words, before she could even respond to his comment and so when she subconsciously went to grab for it, a piece cutting the inside of her hand, she hissed softly instead. Ominis exhaled in response and he instantly reached her side, only to pull at her hand slowly and with a soft brush of his fingers, she watched the cut as it healed. 

“He was our…friend, Ominis. I can’t do it, I won’t,” Alice said, her voice softer now, watching Ominis’ fingers linger on her skin, before he pulled away and lifted her head, his hand guiding her face to look at him. “Please, don’t make me.” 

Ominis hummed sadly, knowing full well of the pain that was now seeping out with every word she whispered, but it was their responsibility, he was their responsibility. “You might not get a choice. They’ve asked for us specifically, you’ll lose your position.”  

“Then they can strip me of everything,” Alice said, pushing Ominis away softly to move from his suffocating hold on her, she never did acknowledge how she’d do anything for him and that wasn’t about to change. “How am I supposed to bring him in, Ominis? How can you be alright with this?” 

Ominis didn’t move from where he stood, instead he waved his wand swiftly and she watched the shattered glass reform anew. She refused to let him ignore her and so Alice stepped towards him, pulling at his waistcoat.

“Are you prepared to face Sebastian? You know, he won’t go down without a fight,” Alice said, the tone of her voice wavering slightly at his name, but she needed Ominis to realise what they were being asked to do and what inevitably was going to happen. “Could you truly kill him?” 

His face grew more rigid at her words, but he allowed her to pull them closer, never once denying anything from her and sadly that also meant the ridiculous questions she would ask. “I wouldn’t let it come to that. Besides, I’m more than capable of capturing him without hurting him.” 

“But what about him, Ominis…he might kill you,” Alice said, although it hurt to even think of the situation, her teeth dragging harshly over the cuts on her bottom lip, before she felt Ominis’ hand reach for her face. He always knew. “I can’t lose both of you. Can’t you fight this? Faris likes you, he would listen…if you asked.” 

Alice waited for Ominis to agree, knowing well that he often did when it came to her, but when he smiled sadly and gently grazed his thumb over her lips as she felt the soft sting of his magic, she exhaled softly and leant her head against his chest. Alice didn’t often allow Ominis to console her like this anymore, realising that overtime his feelings for her had grown into something more than friendship. But she needed it, no, craved it and so she apologised to him in soft whispers, that only she could hear and waited for his arms to embrace her. 

Ominis drew circles against her back for a lot longer than she deserved, before he pushed her forward, just enough to make sure she could see his face and he gently wiped at her cheeks. “I have to do this, Alice and I need you with me.”

“Please don’t make me do this.”

“If I didn’t think you were strong enough to do this, Alice, I wouldn’t ask,” Ominis said, dropping his arms now and it was only then that Alice realised, regardless of her decision, he was going to go through with it and her grip on him tightened. “I can’t ignore this. He’s my responsibility.” 

And there was the word, Alice practically cringed at it and just shook him softly, as if to express the foolishness of his words. She knew this was going to destroy him, destroy them and for the first time in a while, Alice was afraid. “It’s in moments like this Ominis, where I wish I didn’t care for you.” 

“Perhaps, now you know how I feel?” Ominis questioned, his voice a little more playful than before and yet his face remained the same, distant, as if he was lost in thought. Alice pouted, not at all amused by his retort and pulled away. “We should visit the office, you can continue to pout on the way if you like and then make your decision.” 

“I’m not pouting,” Alice said, her pout deepening as she crossed her arms against her chest. 

Ominis’ eyebrow raised and he simply tapped his nose. He always knew. She could never hide anything from him, not exactly, Ominis was switched on in a way she was unable to describe and it irritated her to know end. But, it also meant she never had to say too much and in her moments of desperation, all those times where she felt suffocated by everything, Ominis just knew exactly what to do. It became an intense coping mechanism that Alice couldn’t help but crave and despite the guilt that consumed her, every time she used him to overcome the darkness, she couldn’t stop. Alice felt intoxicated by him and he was in love with her. Neither one of them could pull away, battling the emotional aftermath of their loss and so they continued to hurt each other, subtly, but cruel nonetheless. 

 •.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•

“Just because I agreed to come to the office with you, Ominis, doesn’t mean I’ve agreed to anything,” Alice said, acknowledging officials on their way through the hallway, her face saying more than enough and so it was never more than a quick nod or smile. Ominis chuckled softly and nodded. “I mean it. I’m just here to observe, nothing more.” 

Ominis enjoyed their office; they had collectively agreed on sharing the space, partly due to him wanting to keep track of Alice, though he would never admit it. Truthfully, she didn’t mind either way, she just enjoyed not being alone. 

Reaching for the door and swinging it open, Ominis waited for Alice to walk in first, only to smile warmly when she exhaled as she did so. “You barely come here anymore and I can only send so much to your home, so excuse the mess.” 

“I get by just fine without needing to come here. Besides, if it’s truly important, you come see me. So I don’t exactly have to visit the office, now do I?” Alice said, glancing back when Ominis closed the door, her eyes watching him in a hypnotic state as he removed his coat and she finally took in how tightly his waistcoat seemed to hug his upper body. Her eyes only darted away swiftly when he focused on her. “Perhaps, I should just resign? Would look better than being let go.” 

Ominis smiled and slowly rolled up his sleeves, passing Alice to reach for a letter, before he pushed it towards her. “And what would you do instead?”

“I could do anything, Ominis, I’m resilient,” Alice said, hesitating slightly before he gently reached for her half-outstretched hand and placed the letter against her palm. His smile hadn’t faltered at her words, perhaps it even grew bigger, but even Alice could tell he was silently teasing her and so she frowned. “I think I’d make a good botanist?” 

“Wasn’t Herbology your worst subject? As I recall, you barely found enjoyment in plants?” 

Alice pouted with a laugh, moving to rest against her desk. He wasn’t wrong, in fact, she hated it and so she grumbled under her breath, ripping apart the envelope in her hands. She already knew what to expect, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to simply burn it. 

Ministry of Magic,

Office of the Minister, 

23/03/1898

Dear Mr Gaunt, Miss Dumont,

It’s come to my attention that in the late hours of the 21st of this month, Sebastian Sallow has escaped from Azkaban. The circumstances surrounding his escape remain shrouded in mystery, but considering that this is a first for the wizarding world, we must act with the utmost haste to recapture him.

Given your history with Mr Sallow and your quick rise into the ranks of respected Aurors, I request you personally to fix this mistake. We can’t allow this to become bigger than it already is, the risks are too high and finding him quickly, while figuring out how he managed to escape, is now more important than anything else. I have cleared your schedules completely, for this, must come first.

Although, I understand your stances on Mr Sallow, Miss Dumont to be more exact, this is something you cannot simply ignore. I implore you to accept this request outright as this affects us all and I do hope you understand how I cannot take no for an answer. He must be apprehended. Anything you shall need will be met happily and I look forward to this mess being swiftly taken care of. 

P.S. Mr Gaunt, I must send my appreciation for the bottle of whiskey you’ve sent me. It has most certainly sated my thirst for unique tastes and I must respectfully ask for your distributor.  

Yours sincerely,

Faris Spavin,

Minister of Magic

“You bribed the Minister?” Alice asked, tossing the letter aside and refusing to acknowledge the sudden shake to her hands, before she looked over to Ominis, who was now flipping through a pile of paperwork spread across his desk. Perhaps her question was just simply her response to ignoring the actual request in the letter, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious about it. “You know, Ominis, sometimes it’s hard for me to associate myself with you. Your sweet-talking is getting a little out of hand.” 

Ominis’ smile grew into a slight smirk, though his focus stayed on the papers in his hand and when he urged her closer, with just a soft movement of his head, Alice pouted. “Is that a hint of jealousy, I hear in your voice? I’m shocked.”

“You caught me, I’m positively distraught that your sweet-talking is being directed elsewhere,” Alice said, leaning against his desk, only to watch Ominis look up warmly as a soft chuckle escaped his lips and before she could refuse his touch, his finger gently booped her nose. “I will admit, you’ve never offered to buy me whiskey.” 

“You don’t like whiskey, Alice.”

Alice rolled her eyes and leaned harder against his desk, wobbling it slightly with the sudden weight of her, he was right of course, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have offered. “That’s not the point. What are you looking for anyway?” 

“A blank piece of paper,” Ominis said, his tone a little playful as his long, slender fingers traced along a piece of parchment that seemed to be that exactly, a blank piece of paper and so she reached for his hand. Although she wasn’t sure why, he simply nodded, as if he agreed that this was the right one. “Curious?” 

Pulling her hand away slowly, Ominis’ smile softened and he gently pushed his mess back, allowing space on his desk. Alice had now moved closer and when she focused on the parchment as he placed it down, her eyes finally acknowledged the tiny raised dots spread along it. Ominis gently reached for her hand next, softly spreading her fingers, just enough that her pointer finger was outstretched. Alice then could only swallow nervously after he dragged her in front of him and slowly ran her finger along the dots, while his breath tickled softly at her ear. 

“It’s called braille, read through touch,” Ominis said, his smile growing slightly as Alice shuddered at his voice against her skin and so he simply continued to move her finger along the parchment, her chest rising and falling a little faster now. “An informant of mine regularly sends letters this way. People often don’t see the benefits of learning it and so it makes for an easy solution to keeping letters private.” 

“Would you teach me?” 

Ominis ran his hand softly up her arm and Alice shuddered again, before he removed himself from her completely, his expression filled with intrigue now as she turned to him. “You want me to teach you braille?” 

“I should have learnt it sooner, it’s a part of you and we’re partners,” Alice said, her eyes focused on Ominis’ reaction, but he was so much better at hiding his emotions and so she turned back around to the letter. “Besides, secret letters, only a few can read, sounds useful.” 

Feeling Ominis step closer again, Alice managed to hold her own this time and yet she could sense his desire to touch her and so she leaned back into him as he relaxed. “I suppose after everything, I could. I must admit, I do like the idea. There’s something quite intimate about written messages others can’t read, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Alice swallowed hard, she wasn’t quite sure how intimate Ominis had meant it, knowing well they both had different levels of it. But, her thoughts grew flustered with the possibilities and so she hummed in response. “Truthfully, I just don’t want you hiding things from me, Ominis. I like knowing what’s going on with you, preferably at all times.”  

“But, then I have nothing left of intrigue about me?” Ominis said, leaning his chin against her shoulder, before wrapping his arm around her slowly to pick up the letter and pull it away. Only then, did he remove himself again, leaving Alice almost breathless as she watched him head towards the door and place the letter into his waistcoat. “I’ll think about it. Now, are you coming?” 

“I’m not agreeing to anything, but yes.” 

•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•

Alice had never seen the Ministry in this much chaos, with the constant clashing of its officials, only doing so much. She understood in parts, realising that Sebastian’s escape had caused those in charge to fall into a state of panic, but truthfully, it was almost impossible to feel bad for them. Alice still couldn’t wrap her head around the whole thing, her feelings now a jumbled mess. Truthfully, Ominis was right, as he always was and she knew that Sebastian was their responsibility. But she felt stuck, being pulled in two directions and although it was the right thing to do, Alice still wasn’t sure if she had it in her to bring him in. 

Sebastian seemed to have thrown everything into a whirlwind, igniting a manhunt that had the Ministry grasping at straws, desperate for the situation to be solved. And yet, Alice was unable to fully commit to it, hoping that Sebastian’s trail would go cold and he just simply wished to be left alone. But perhaps, that’s just thinking too innocently about it all and Alice sadly knew him too well, to know this didn’t mean anything but trouble. Focusing on the clacking of her heels along the floor and trying desperately to ignore the thumping ache in her chest, Alice only looked up when Ominis slowed to a stop. 

“Come with me,” Ominis said, the sudden request only taking Alice by surprise, confusing her slightly, as if she hadn’t already been doing just that. But, it’s only when he gently pulled her down a darkened hall, away from their destination, that Alice suddenly grew nervous. “I really need you to rethink everything Alice, I know you don’t want to do this. But I need you, is that not enough of a reason for you to agree?” 

“Ominis—”

“Don’t ‘Ominis’ me…after everything we’ve been through, will you truly not see reason?” Ominis asked, reaching up to place his hand against her face and as he moved towards her, she gasped softly when her back felt the cool touch of the wall behind her. “You must realise that he’s no longer the Sebastian we once knew, but with your help…we can make sure he’s brought in safely. The others won’t be so kind.” 

Alice could barely see Ominis, but she felt how close he was, could sense the desperation in his voice and so she gently leaned into his touch. She had focused too much on her own feelings, something she often was scolded for, that now it meant she had ignored how this had affected him and so the guilt returned. Nestling itself in the pit of her stomach and clawing eagerly towards her heart. 

“If I agree to this Ominis, I’m doing it for you, not for the Ministry, not for the job,” Alice said, the usual confidence in her voice, no longer there as Ominis simply leaned his head down now, so that his forehead was against hers and she swallowed sadly. “But, if I have to pull away, at any point…you must let me. If I can no longer fulfil what is asked of me, you must—”  

“You don’t give yourself enough credit…but I agree, Alice and I will not stop you.” 

She most certainly felt wrong about the whole thing, as soon as she agreed to it, but realising that Ominis had suddenly relaxed just with her words alone, Alice knew she couldn’t back out now. Feeling his hand slowly drop to her shoulder, when Ominis finally did step back, Alice quickly started to regret just how much she had come to care for him. But that was just it, she did, she cared too much. More than a friend ever should and so when he slowly reached for her hand, Alice took it willingly and let him pull her back into the main hallway.

“Ominis, when exactly did you realise…I was going to accept this request?” Alice asked, letting go of his hand now to wrap her arm around his, the thought behind supporting him through the halls, still the perfect excuse to stay close. And one that Ominis never said no to, despite not actually needing it. “Honestly, did you always know that I would eventually agree?” 

Ominis, who gladly accepted her touch, smiled softly as they continued towards the Minister’s office, before lifting his other hand and running it through his hair. “You might not like my answer, Alice.”

“Well now, I just have to hear it?” Alice said, looking up to see Ominis’ lips curl up into a teasing smile and so she gently pinched at his side, making him jolt slightly. “I suppose, even I must admit…I didn’t think I would give in so easily. When did I get so pathetic—” 

“Is supporting your friends pathetic now? That’s news to me.”

Alice smiled sadly and shrugged, truthfully she just didn’t want to admit that she hadn’t really thought about how this might have also been affecting him. And it wasn’t as if she didn’t know. Sebastian was his best friend, they were practically brothers and so it only made sense that his fall into the darkness grew heavy on Ominis’ heart, slowly ripping it apart little by little. She felt rather horrible, realising now how blatant she had been with ignoring his pain and so Alice knew she needed to do this, not for herself no, but for him. 

Even if it broke her. 

“Silence is not always a good thing, Alice?” Ominis said, his voice softer now as they made their way into the reception of the Minister’s office, he could tell she was overthinking something. But he was no mind reader, no matter what she thought of him. “Talk to me?” 

She let go of his arm now, realising it might have looked a little unprofessional and so she hummed softly and nudged him. Alice didn’t want him to worry more than he most likely was and so it seemed easier to lie. “I was just thinking about your bribe to the Minister, have you been doing that for a while? Is this the reason why you get all the ‘big’ jobs?” 

“You make it sound like I’m selling myself for benefits…which, might not be such a bad idea—”

“You’re feral, Ominis…he could be your grandfather or your grandfather’s grandfather,” Alice said, shuddering at the thought of Ominis with the Minister. But what made it worse, was that it sort of made her jealous—jealous of Ominis thinking of others in such a way and so she shuddered again. “Bad imagery…now I won’t be able to look him in the eye. I hope you're happy.” 

Ominis laughed louder this time, his eyebrows furrowing at the thought, before he acknowledged the receptionist. She had directed her good morning to him only and although she seemed desperate to touch him, leaning forward to rest a hand on his arm, Ominis simply ignored her and pulled away. “Could you let the Minister know we are here?” 

The woman huffed, clearly embarrassed and Alice watched as she disappeared into the Minister’s office. It wasn’t as if she cared if women flirted with him, or perhaps, that’s just what she had to tell herself. But actually seeing it happen, was another thing entirely. But, she didn’t really have the right to be upset, not really and yet, she hated seeing other women throw themselves at him. Truthfully, Alice knew it was cruel of her to think in such a way, hopeful that Ominis would simply wait for her to be able to open her heart to him. And a part of her so desperately wished to, wondering what it would be like by his side as more than just a friend. 

But Alice knew it wasn’t fair. Her heart still beat for Sebastian, in more ways than she could ever explain and Ominis deserved better. Except lately, that fine line between not wanting to break his heart and wishing to have him, grew thinner by the day and it was only a matter of time before she gave into those desires. Feeling Ominis shift beside her, Alice barely had a chance to shoot him a look, before the Minister’s office door swung open. The receptionist barely said a word as they walked past her, but Alice could feel her gaze burning into the back of her head and when the woman shut the door softly behind them, Alice had even littler chance to react. 

The Minister seemed more eager to speak with them than she had anticipated and when he quickly stood up and stumbled away from his desk—only to reach out and clasped them both against the arm, Alice had to swiftly look away. Thinking about Ominis and the Minister—together—was now seared into her brain and she knew her face showed how the thought darkened her expression. But it seemed he didn’t mind, assuming it was about Sebastian and so Alice pulled away and sat down first—perhaps only getting away with her rudeness, because they needed her. And not the other way round. 

“I’m glad to see that you’re here, Miss Dumont, Alice. I knew asking Ominis to have you reconsider, was the right choice,” Faris said, moving back to sit against his desk, the wood creaking loudly with the action and it took all of Alice, not to comment. Clearly Ominis realised her stiffened reaction and he squeezed her arm as he sat down beside her. “Now, shall we begin?”

[mialuna32]

Late Nights

Word count- 2184 words

There is no mention of the characters name, I used she/her pronouns so I’m really sorry if it sucks or doesn’t make sense :)

Theme - A bit of angst, mentions of death and doubts of self worth, comfort and fluff and a panic attack is mentioned (If you are unable to read that section of the story don’t be worrying, I will put down a warning that will look like this: ⚠️Panic Attack Warning ⚠️When it starts and ⚠️Panic Attack Over⚠️ when it ends)

Summary - When the reader has a panic attack, she retreats to the undercroft when Ominis finds her.

She was lying on the sofa in the Ravenclaw common room, her overworked and tired eyes barely being able to read over the pages of the book that she was studying.

She didn’t know what time it was but she knew it was late.

Samantha was extremely concerned for her friend and it worried her as she noticed that her friend hasn’t even been in their shared dorm room in over a week.

She seemed so absent it was as if her mind was completely switched off.

Since Professor Figs death she has been numb to everything and everyone around her.

She has barely even spoken since she saw the most important person in her life die in front of her, but she was still pretending as if everything was fine, knowing that she didn’t want to trouble any of her friends, she would never be thinking of herself. Even when she should be.

But everyone knew she was struggling to keep herself afloat from the things she has experienced. They could see the torment etched across her face. They could see the pain in her eyes that she clearly so desperately wanted to let out but was so afraid to make a sound.

Samantha had somehow managed to convince her friend to change into fresh nightwear for the evening and not the same school uniform she has been wearing continuously.

Samantha had found her in a little corner of the Ravenclaw common room curled up in a chair as she studied over a book about ancient magic. It was all she was looking at recently. She was always seen with her nose stuck in that same book every day, day after day.

Samantha finally managed to tear her away from her book and dragged her upstairs to their dorm room to change.

Samantha had chosen a light pink silk nightgown from the other girl’s trunk with soft white house shoes that sat near her bunk.

Samantha wanted to make sure that her dearest friend was comfortable. But she didn’t care, the girl gave her friend a small look of gratitude before she made her way back downstairs to the common room to continue studying over her book.

Her eyes fluttered closed and her hand lost grip of the book and it suddenly fell to the floor with a loud thud.

The noise had shook her awake and she sat up abruptly with a gasp of surprise, she rubbed her eyes, trying her hardest not to fall asleep.

Because if she fell asleep she would see everything that had happened all over again

She would see Professor Fig dying in her arms.

She would see him begin to lose the light in his eyes.

She would see him reaching for her hand.

She would see him forming his last words and hearing.

“The wizarding world could not be in more capable hands…”

⚠️Panic Attack Warning ⚠️

And then nothing…

Just darkness

Pain

Grief

That’s all she would feel

That’s all she could feel.

That’s all she could feel constantly every single day since the man she considered her father had died.

And suddenly it felt like her throat was closing up and she couldn’t breathe. She struggled to get air into her lungs, as her eyes began to fill with tears and clouding her vision.

She began to hyperventilate and her breathing deteriorated rapidly.

She slid off the sofa, as tears ran down her face but she still made no sound. She barely managed to pull herself up onto her feet as she staggered out of the common room.

She didn’t know where she was going, she couldn’t even comprehend that she was walking through the lonely Hogwarts corridors, her only company being the portraits on the walls as they looked on at the young student in concern.

She ended up walking to the undercroft. She walked unsteadily inside the secret space, the room illuminated by the flames. She backed into the stone wall of the undercroft sliding her body down to the floor as she continued sobbing silently still not making any noise.

And then the girl couldn’t help but wish that she didn’t come to Hogwarts in the first place.

What was the point??

Lodgok was only killed by Ranrok because she convinced him to help her.

Anne was cursed with no way to heal the girl, because her power wasn’t strong enough.

Solomon was dead because she couldn’t tell Sebastian no.

Sebastian fell deeper into dark magic because she wanted to believe that he would stop.

And now she has caused Ominis so much pain and sorrow, it was her fault his best friends no longer have any family left but eachother, it was her fault that Anne had to bury her uncle alone because Sebastian was too overcome with dark magic to care or grieve over their uncles death, it was her fault Sebastian’s sister was no longer speaking with him.

Everything was her fault.

She was no ‘Hero of Hogwarts’

She was a coward and a fraud.

Hogwarts would have been better without her.

Lodgok would have been better without her.

Sebastian would have been better without her.

Anne would have been better without her.

Ominis would have been better without her.

Professor Fig would have been better without her.

Everyone would have been better without her.

She doesn’t know how long she has been sitting on the cold floor of undercroft. Her tears had stopped long ago, now she was only letting out shaky and shallow breaths. She had her knees curled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head facing down at the floor using her arms as support.

She tires focusing on getting her breathing under control, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly.

She’s so consumed in trying to get her breathing back to normal that she doesn’t even notice the entryway of the undercroft opening.

But then suddenly in the middle of her hyperventilating she still hears an all too familiar voice of a certain Slytherin.

“Hello?”

She looks up and she doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight in front of her. Ominis stood at the entrance of the undercroft wearing green, brown and white striped night clothes and a pair of slippers, his normally neat and slicked back hair was now unkempt and dishevelled. He was holding out his wand, the bright red light emitting from the tip of it.

She holds in her whimpers and unsteady breath as she watches Ominis look around him seemingly unaware of the frightened and traumatised Ravenclaw girl.

⚠️Panic Attack Over⚠️

He then turned his head in her direction and it almost seemed as if he was looking straight into her soul.

“I know that you are here, I know that you are hurting, I know that you are scared”

She remained silent and continued staring at the boy.

“But you can talk to me, I’ll listen to whatever you have to say. Just please talk to me, you have no idea what it has been like for me not to hear your voice ”

“I am here for you… I am always going to be here for you.”

He crouched down to her level and carefully reached out his hand, listening for any indication that she would want him to stop.

She said nothing.

She stayed still as a statue

The only movement that could be seen or heard from her was the sound of heavy breathing.

And then he gently put his hand on her cheek and smiled at her. A smile that would make her drop to the floor if she wasn’t already sitting down.

Oh Merlin.

How did this boy always manage to make her flustered even at her worst.

“I am right here Darling. It’s ok. I’m right here” he said assuredly.

As her breathing began to improve and returned to the way it was before she couldn’t help but feel relieved that he was there to help. She did not think that anyone would be able to bring her out of a panic attack.

Yet he did.

Ominis continued to amaze her.

He was the most gentle soul she has ever met.

Even through all the torment and abuse he was put through as a child. Being forced by his family to cast curses upon innocent victims. If he had ever defied them, then his own parents would cast the cruciatus curse on him. The people that were supposed to love and protect him most. But they couldn’t even give him something as little as the love of his own parents.

That thought alone made her want to cry.

“I can almost hear the gears turning in your head.”

His calm soothing voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she turned her eyes to look back at him.

His pale silver eyes were staring back at her, they were filled with worry and she had to hold back a sob at the thought of worrying him. She was troubled at the thought that he was distracted about her well-being. It did not make sense, she wasn’t worth distressing over.

“You are worth everything darling, ok?? I only worry about you because I care about you.”

Her eyes widened hearing what Ominis had just said. He said what she was thinking. How could that be possible?? How would he know what she is thinking?? Can he hear people’s thoughts??

“I cannot hear people’s thoughts, you know?? I just know you too well.”

She stared at him, her mouth agape in shock at hearing what he just said.

He smirked at her devilishly and let out a chuckle and she couldn’t help but give him a harmless smack to the arm for teasing her.

He let out a laugh at the Ravenclaw girl’s antics.

And she could not help but laugh along with him. How could she not?? Ominis Gaunt was sitting next to her laughing happily.

They were truly happy for the first time in months.

“I have missed hearing you laugh these past few weeks darling. Your laugh is like a melody and I never get tired of hearing it”

Ominis gently threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her closer to him.

And almost as if he could see her, he smiled softly at the girl with a look that can only be described as adoration.

He then leaned his face down towards her and kissed her on the cheek.

She let out a surprised gasp, but did not recoil from the touch.

It was nice.

It was comforting.

It was calming.

It was perfect.

It was Ominis.

“I am here for you love, whatever you need. I am always going to be here for you. I would do anything for you. If it ever came down to it and I had to make a choice to save myself or you, I would choose you every time because I would rather die a slow painful death than have the love of my life go through what she just went through again. You are the most important person in my life… I love you darling”

And suddenly it is like time stops.

Everything around her and Ominis disappears and all that is left is him and her.

And that is all that matters.

And for the first time in nearly a month, she finally finds the courage to be able to speak. And first words she says are

“I love you too Ominis” she says quietly, that if it were not for his heightened sense of hearing, he would not of heard her speak, her voice is hoarse from not speaking for such a long period of time but he still hears it and she doesn’t think she’s ever seen him as happy as looks now.

He jumps up onto his feet suddenly and then lets out a loud laugh before he pulls her up off the ground as well, lifting her up by the waist and spinning her round. He can hear her cheerful squeals of protest but he doesn’t listen, because he has never been happier than he is in this moment.

When he finally sets her down she lets out a content sigh before she looks up at him with the same look of admiration as Ominis.

“I love you” she says with nothing but fondness and love in her voice.

“I love you too, darling.” He replies with the same tone in his voice.

It was hard to admit, but unfortunately everything was not perfect at the moment.

She still had a lot of things to sort out, she was still grieving over Lodgok and Professor Fig deaths, she was still feeling the guilt of being responsible for Solomon’s death and Sebastian falling into dark magic.

Ominis also had a lot of things to handle, losing his closest friends, one cursed by dark magic and the other becoming consumed by it, as well as his wretched family and horrible parents.

But she knew everything would be okay.

Because she had Ominis.

Because Ominis had her.

He knew that needed her.

And she knew that he needed her too.

The End

Authors Note: Ok!! I hope this fic was enjoyable!! I came up with this idea a couple nights ago and I’ve had really bad writers block recently so I went to write this as soon as I thought of it lol😂😂 I’ve been working on this since Friday and I am now posting this at exactly 3:05 Am on Monday 12th June. It would have been out earlier but I just spent the past hour and a half editing😭😭 so I hope this does well lol😂😂 it was extremely hard to write Ominis as he is such a complex character to write, with his blindness, his backstory, his personality and how he acts and speaks. So I hope it wasn’t too bad. So let me know what you think!! Comments are always appreciated and welcome and I love getting fanfic recommendations for different Hogwarts legacy characters. I’ve been thinking of writing one set after the game, the main character does not have a love interest and she is obviously grieving over fig and Professor sharp steps in to help her and guide her through her grief and offers to take her in and they have a sorta father-daughter/Uncle-niece relationship but not in a weird way. So let me know what you think about that!!

So until next time my lovelies!!

Toodles :)

[pandanscafanfiction]

The Ghosts In Our Souls (Shall Haunt Us No Longer)

The sequel (spinoff) of Laundry Day, is here! You know- the one no one asked for! Lmao

Pairing: Ominis Gaunt/Leander Prewet

Rating: Explicit

Tags (so far): Strangers to Lovers, Drunkenness, Sharing a Room, First Time, Rare Pairings, Rare Relationships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Soul-Searching

It's only the first chapter so, very innocent. But we're sowing the seeds, bestie 😏

[libellule-ao3]

Lullaby for Cursed Seeds 🔞

Rating: 🔞 | 7 450 words approx. | angst & hurt/comfort | Romance | Strangers to lovers | resilience | Progressive development of a relationship | Alternating POV between Ominis and Evelyne

Ominis/F!MC | Ominis & Sebastian friendship | Sebastian/F!Player Character (background)

⚠️: graphic depictions of violence (Various physical, psychological and emotional abuse + canon typical violence)

Summary: Ominis Gaunt, the pure-blood wizard, struggles to thrive in the stifling shadow of his family manor. A prisoner of a heritage he rejects.

Evelyne Lavandin, on the other hand, is a precocious Muggle-born witch who has been uprooted since people greedy for power and money tore her away from her family.

Two characters and two solitudes separated by everything. And yet, who still believes that encounters are the fruit of chance?

A/N: The lullaby used for this fic is the Brahms’ Lullaby (German composer) performed for the first time in public on 22 December 1869 in Vienna. Youtube link

The "new friend" mentioned corresponds to the F!player character. I'm deliberately leaving it anonymous so that you can imagine your own. 😊

Extract:

The sky is dark, as usual, over the manor house of the illustrious Gaunt family. Black clouds are gathering and weighing down its inhabitants with the sinister weight of Salazar Slytherin’s legacy, of which the Gaunts are the proud direct descendants.

No one would be foolish enough to defy such a pure heritage, preserved by centuries of proud tradition and inbreeding.

In this case, Ominis Gaunt, a boy who looks like a fallen angel with his blond hair and big blind eyes reflecting the sorrow of a flayed innocence, is no longer sane. He refuses to acquire and practise this cursed magic that eternally tarnishes souls, both those of its summoner and those of its victims. In retaliation, his father turns his siblings into executioners and condemns him to suffer the horrible pain he refuses to inflict on this terrified Muggle commoner who has done nothing to him.

The unforgivable Cruciatus Curse.

A thousand white-hot blades pierce his whole being and make his heart explode in his chest, inflicting more pain than his little body can contain. Intolerable suffering! Ominis is in so much misery that he’d rather die than endure any more! So, when the pain has subsided and his tears have dried up, Ominis Gaunt has only enough strength left for one thing: surrender.

He tries everything he can to escape the harm he is causing: he plugs his ears, turns off the echolocation spell of his precious wand and, although he is blind, he closes his eyes anyway. Even his mind tries to flee this cursed place where contempt and sadism reign, to slip into the shelter of a persistent inner light. In vain. Every scream of his victim travels through his body, through his bones, to tear at his soul, instilling the poison of self-doubt and self-hatred. And all the while, his father’s imposing hand strokes his hair as he would stroke the head of an obedient dog.

“There you are, a real Gaunt, son.”

[ayre-rayne]

Fluff to get things started

Ominis x GN!MC

ALL CHARACTERS AGED UP 18+ (Think 7th year and everyone is graduating)

Ominis Gaunt sat alone in the Slytherin common room, his wand resting in his hand. His eyes remained shut, but he didn't need them to navigate his way around. His wand had become an extension of himself, almost sentient. He let out a sigh as he recalled the memories of his childhood. The trauma of his upbringing had made him pessimistic, sarcastic, and distrusting of people. He disagreed with his family's use of the Dark Arts, which aligned him with his favorite aunt, Noctua Gaunt. She was the only person who understood him, and he felt a strong connection to her.

"Ominis, are you okay?" asked MC as they walked into the common room.

Ominis smiled. "I'm fine, MC. Just lost in thought," he replied.

"Thinking about your aunt again?" Sebastian joined in the conversation.

Ominis nodded, "Yes, I miss her. I wish I could have been there with her in Slytherin's Scriptorium. Maybe I could have helped her."

Sebastian frowned, "You know it was too dangerous for anyone to go with her, Ominis. No one knew what was inside."

"I know, but she was brave. She was willing to take the risk to uncover more about Salazar Slytherin's legacy," Ominis replied, a hint of sadness in his voice.

MC patted his shoulder, "She would have been proud of you, Ominis. You are continuing her legacy by standing up for what you believe in."

Ominis smiled, "Thank you, MC. I appreciate it."

The conversation turned to lighter topics as they reminisced about their time at Hogwarts. Ominis shared a memory of when him and Sebastian first practiced the Blasting Curse, and they all laughed as he remembered how they had singed their eyebrows. Ominis's playful nature shone through as he joked about his pranks on first-year students, making them believe that mermaids could be seen outside the Slytherin common room windows.

As the night went on, Ominis felt a sense of peace in his heart. Despite the darkness of his past, he had found a family at Hogwarts, and he was grateful for that. He knew he would always carry the weight of his childhood trauma, but he was determined to stand up for what he believed in and make a difference, just like his favorite aunt.

As the years went by, Ominis and MC's friendship grew stronger. They had been through so much together, and their connection deepened as they shared their hopes, dreams, and fears with each other. MC saw the goodness in Ominis, even when he couldn't see it in himself.

One night, as they sat by the fire in the common room, MC turned to Ominis and said, "You know, Ominis, you're not like the rest of your family. You have a kind heart, and you stand up for what you believe in, even when it's not easy."

Ominis felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words. "Thank you, MC. You know how much your friendship means to me."

As their relationship blossomed, MC became more curious about Ominis's unique way of navigating the world. One day, while they were sitting in the Hogwarts courtyard, MC turned to Ominis and said, "Ominis, can I try something?"

Ominis was taken aback. "What do you mean, MC?"

"I mean," MC said, taking a deep breath, "Can I try to 'see' the way you do? Can I use my hands to feel your features the same way you do with mine?"

Ominis was touched by their request. He had always been self-conscious about his blindness, and the way people sometimes treated him differently because of it. But with MC, he felt accepted for who he was, and he was willing to share this intimate part of himself with them.

"Of course, MC," he said, taking their hand in his. "I would be happy to show you."

Slowly and patiently, Ominis guided MC's fingers over his face, explaining how he used his sense of touch to navigate the world around him. MC was amazed at the level of detail they could feel, and the way Ominis seemed to know exactly where their fingers were at all times. As they sat there together, MC felt a deeper connection to Ominis than they ever had before. They realized that his blindness was not a weakness, but a strength, one that allowed him to experience the world in a way that others could only imagine.

MC looked down at their lap for a moment before they spoke again. "Ominis, there's something I need to tell you. I don't know how you'll feel about it, but I can't keep it inside anymore."

Ominis turned to face them, curiosity piqued. "What is it, MC?"

MC took a deep breath before they spoke, "I'm in love with you, Ominis."

Ominis's heart skipped a beat. He had never thought of MC in that way, but as he looked at them, he realized that they had been the one constant in his life. They had always been there for him, through thick and thin. He reached out and took their hand, "MC, I don't know what to say. I never thought of you that way, but I realize now that you're the one who's always been there for me. You understand me in a way that no one else does."

MC smiled, "I know it's a lot to take in, but I had to tell you how I feel."

Ominis leaned in and kissed them gently, "MC, I think I'm falling in love with you too." Ominis felt a sense of peace in his heart knowing that he had found someone who accepted him for who he was and loved him unconditionally.

[cursebreakinggalore]

New Chapter of 'But I'm still fond of you' out now on AO3!

[choccy-milky]

ominis sandwich 🥪🥹 (( from a oneshot called scriptorium to sepulcher! it takes place after the scriptorium, where ominis is still depressed about finding his aunt noctua dead, and so clora and seb try to cheer him up💕 thank you again for writing this RGKO!! ))

[polly-sly]

Okay, fic recs??

Oh okay, I have a list!!!

💚 Unforgiven by crying_possum

💚 Crime and remission by blantanblue

💚 Cross by blantanblue

💚 Crave - cuff me in black

💚 I promise by revalis_gale

💚 Why does this potion smell like you? by queenslytherin

💚 Just another undercroft meeting by ghosteelyfe

💚 Labyrinth of our minds by mistsprite

💚 Blindsight by the_invisibility_bloke

Upd:

🖤 I’ll lend a hand (all 5 parts) by gargoylegrave

🖤In the shadow of every word left unspoken by pandansca

🖤 cheers to everything that might have been by gargoylegrave

Some of them are finished, some of them not. But I chose the best in my opinion ✨

Share your favs in comments too! ✨

P.s. be careful before reading, check all the tags and warnings

[thecharacterchronicler]

Bloodline (Part 1) || Ominis Gaunt x Reader || Smut

Outline: Your family arranged for you to marry Marvolo Gaunt. Fortunately, your best friend Ominis steps up and makes sure to save you from such a fate.

Word count: 4’515

Warnings: English isn’t my first language so possible misspelled or misplaced words, arranged marriage, abusive families (mentioned), first time s*x, friends to lovers and explicit smut.

(( Part 2 - Please )) - (( Part 3 - Heirloom )) - (( Masterlist ))

The familiar flip-flap of owls entering the great hall through the windows resounded in Ominis’ ears, excited chatter rising from the students sitting at the tables as, one by one, they received their mail. The sound of paper falling on a wooden surface nearby piqued his curiosity, he didn’t receive letters often, nor did you or Sebastian but an envelope had unmistakably landed in front of one of you.

Your clothes rustled as you moved to take the paper in your hand, tearing apart the top of the envelope as your owl took flight again, its wings almost grazing Ominis’s hair on its way back to the owlery.

Despite the noise of other students all around, Ominis distinctly heard you take a sharp inhale of air, your silence as you read the letter addressed to you feeling somewhat tense.

“Is everything alright ?” He asked you, but you didn’t reply right away, too focused on whatever you were reading.

He waited a few more minutes, noticing the way your legs grew restless and your movements became agitated. You were sitting at the opposite side of the table from him and your foot bumped into his a few times as you nervously readjusted your posture.

He was too polite to insist and didn’t want to push you to share something you might want to keep for yourself, so even though he was dying to question you about the mysterious letter you had received and why its content seemed to upset you, he simply cleared his throat to remind you that he was waiting for an answer to his question.

“It’s a letter from my family.” You explained, with a slight tremble in your voice. “They say that they arranged a partnership for me, effective immediately after graduation.”

“A partnership ? You mean some kind of professional training ?” Sebastian asked, before biting into an apple.

“That would be an internship.” Ominis corrected him, shaking his head. “I think she meant something more intimate than that.”

“Like… A relationship ?” Sebastian inquired, still munching on his fruit.

“A marriage.” You stated, defeated.

“I didn’t know you were dating someone.”

“I am not.”

“It’s common for wealthy and powerful families such as hers to arrange weddings, especially if it’s a matter of keeping their bloodline alive and pure.” Ominis explained, a shiver running down his spine. That was something his family did too, they were obsessed with maintaining the quality of their bloodline, suitable matches were carefully chosen, sometimes within their own family members.

“It’s more of a business contract than a marriage.” You added, with a sigh. “And my parents are making it very clear that I don’t have any say in the matter.”

“Do you know who’s the lucky fiancé, though ?” Sebastian asked, seemingly taking such terrible news lightly. Way too lightly. It was a tragedy, really. You deserved better than to be forced into a loveless marriage under the pretense of keeping a bloodline going, securing the pride and superiority of the worst kind of wizards to exist. Maybe Sebastian couldn’t quite grasp the gravity of what you had been asked to do but Ominis knew all too well how you must feel, being robbed of your free will and freedom by a controlling and corrupted family.

“It’s Marvolo Gaunt.” You answered, bluntly, before getting up from your seat on the bench and leaving the great hall in a rush. Although Ominis couldn’t see, he felt the intensity of your gaze piercing right through him, until you were no longer in the room.

His chest tightened and his body tensed at the sound of his older brother’s name. Marvolo probably was the most cruel wizard he knew, aside from their father. Although they shared the same blood, the same family and the same education, Ominis wasn’t afraid to say that his brother was immensely deranged and should have been locked up in Azkaban a long time ago, like the rest of his family actually. The only reason rules didn’t apply to them and they were free to commit the most vile and cruel crimes without facing punishment was because they were Gaunts, descendants of the great Salazar Slytherin and held more power and wealth than any other family of wizards in the country.

And now you were going to be one of them.

He couldn’t imagine you, taking part in the cruel acts his family committed for fun. And if you didn’t, they would find a way to punish you for it, just like they had punished him in the past. The Gaunts were dangerous, and you needed to stay away from them, no matter what.

Ominis stood up, reaching for his wand to guide his steps through the corridors and halls of the castle. He needed to find you and he knew his wand would know exactly where to take him. He was racking his brain, trying to find a solution to save you from such a doomed fate as he followed mindlessly the path his wand indicated. Eventually, he found himself outside, in a narrow courtyard. Wind rustled through the leaves of a nearby tree and caressed his face, sending a cold shiver through his body. He couldn’t feel any rays of sunshine warming his skin, meaning it must be a rather cloudy afternoon. He could hear the sound of water moving in the fountain at the center of the courtyard, birds singing in the sky… And soft muffled sobs. His wand twitched, tugging him in your direction.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you.” Ominis told you, once he was standing in front of you. He could hear the sobs shaking your body as clear as day but still felt compelled to bring his hand to your face, wiping the warm teardrops away from your cheeks with his thumb. “Marvolo really isn’t a suitable match for you.”

“It’s alright, I knew this day would come eventually. I was just hoping my parents wouldn’t force me into this as soon as I was done with school.” You replied, another teardrop falling from your lashes and rolling down your cheek..

“There must be something we can do about it.” Ominis said, instinctively brushing off the fresh tear from your face. “What if you were engaged to someone else ?”

You laughed although you didn’t find anything amusing about the situation.

“During my seven years here, no one ever courted me, no one attempted to ask me on a date, I have no other prospects. And you know as well as I do that my parents shouldn’t risk angering the Gaunts.”

Ominis furrowed his brows. You were right, if your parents broke their promise to marry you off to one of his siblings, they might not make it out alive. If his parents had arranged for you to be wed to Marvolo, it meant they considered your blood pure enough to perpetuate their dignified bloodline. It was a rare occurrence, usually no one was deemed worthy enough so chances were that they’d do everything in their power to ensure that you’d become a Gaunt now that they had approved of you.

If you broke the arrangement to be with someone else, a wizard of lower class and reputation, his father would take it as an offense and you’d have to pay for such a daring act. If you married Marvolo, then surely he would take advantage of you and of your obligation to satisfy your family and his, he’d be cruel and violent, he wouldn’t care about you and would never treat you with the respect you deserved… There was only one option left.

“Marry me.” Ominis stated, determined.

“What ? What are you saying ?” You spoke, dumbstruck by the sudden suggestion.

“My parents want you to ensure the purity of our bloodline, your parents want you to earn the status and power that come with my last name… So marry me instead.”

“Ominis, you don’t have to. I can’t ask you to do that for me, that’s…” You argued, shaking your head.

“It’s a matter of time before my parents arrange a wedding for me too. I think I’d much rather be married to someone I consider a friend than a stranger they would have picked for me. So really, you’d be the one doing me a favor.” Ominis continued, his heart beating faster as he spoke. He knew it was a good idea, it would save you from Marvolo, from his family and, despite being a Gaunt himself, he would do his best to treat you well. He would never hurt you, never mock you, never give you any reason to regret choosing him instead of his brother…

So please, say yes.

His mother adjusted his tie. She told him that the all black suit she had gotten tailored made for him suited him better than anything he ever wore. She said it brought his blue eyes out, and that everyone would be able to tell that he was one of the heirs of the Gaunt name. Ominis wasn’t sure what was meant to be a compliment and what was meant as a jab, but he simply nodded at everything she said.

By the time he walked down to the garden of the imposing manor, his mother’s arm looped in his, he felt dizzy with anxiety. His heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to burst out at any minute. His ribcage felt so tight around his lungs that he could barely breathe correctly, and the more time went by, the more sweaty his hands became.

He could hear the chatter of the numerous guests his parents had invited as they took place around the lectern that had been placed at the very center of the garden. The familiar smell of roses tickled his nose, meaning the white rose bushes must be in full bloom in this season. He could feel the sunshine on his face and the warm summer air on his skin. It was a beautiful day on the gloomy manor.

His mother let go of his arm, leaving him standing on his own in front of what he imagined was an impressive audience of grumpy wizards. He still couldn’t quite catch his breath and, the moment the ambient chatter died down, his throat instantly felt constricted and his body tensed up.

He heard the whispers among the crowd and the footsteps approaching in his direction. It was unmistakably the way of walking of a man, confident and determined while the lighter steps next to his were more hesitant. In the past seven years, Ominis had memorized the sound of your steps. He also could recognize your smell in a crowd and knew exactly how soft your skin felt under his fingers. He could tell if your hair was up or let down from the way you touched and played with it and he knew that the quiet, almost imperceptible breaths you let out meant that you felt nervous. He knew all of this and more yet, he had no idea what it felt like to kiss your lips or hold you in his arms and that felt awfully wrong, considering what you both were about to do.

The man that had accompanied you walked away, leaving you standing with Ominis in front of prying, curious eyes. You didn’t say anything to each other, too busy trying to not pass out from how anxious you both felt. The contract was written and placed on the pupil in front of you, its tricky clauses oozing with dark magic.

It wasn’t just any contract. It was a cursed one, meant to bind you together forever. The words til death do us part took a different meaning as you signed your name at the bottom of the page, knowing that if you ever tried to leave him, you’d most likely be instantly killed by some kind of dark spell that probably was forbidden to cast. The promises you made by signing this contract were definitive and the consequences if you failed to hold them were deadly. At the very least, you both could feel thankful that you weren’t making such vows to a complete stranger.

Ominis signed the parchment too, the ink dripping from the quill dark red like blood. The contract was sealed with applause and illegal magic, making you his wife. For the rest of your lives.

The dinner that followed the ceremony was dull and mostly boring, a display of Mister Gaunt’s power and a lecture on his narrow views about muggles and mudblood wizards, as the guests listened quietly to his speech, nodding in agreement every once in a while. Eventually, Ominis took his leave, pretending that he was exhausted from the events of the day. You excused yourself too, glad to find him waiting for you in the hallway.

He knew the manor he grew up in in details and could navigate it without the help of his wand. He guided you upstairs, through the dark corridor that led to his bedroom. He opened the door for you, letting you step inside first before following you in and shutting the door behind him. He had never had any guest in his bedroom before and that realization made him feel uneasy. He knew that the servants kept his room neat and tidy - just how he liked it - but he wasn’t sure of what you were going to think about the ancient desk he sat at to write his letters to Sebastian, or the books that lined the shelves of bookcases that reached the ceiling. And what about the four poster bed he slept in, he had always found it large and comfortable but suddenly he worried it might be too small to share with you.

“Once we move into our own home we’ll be able to sleep in separate rooms. But for now, I think it’s better if we share mine.” He said, hoping that you wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable here until then.

To convince his parents to let him marry you instead of his brother, he had pretended he was madly, irredeemably in love with you. At first, they didn’t like it, saying that love made men foolish and pushed them to their demise but, eventually, they came to the realization that him wanting you so badly would serve the purpose of continuing their bloodline. Many heirs could be born from such desires.

Now that you were here, in the intimacy of his bedroom, he couldn’t help but think about it. How amazing it would be to kiss you, touch you, make you his as everybody expected him to. But he wouldn’t do it. Mainly because he was a gentleman and had promised himself that he would never, ever, disrespect you. And also because he was determined to not give his parents the satisfaction of having any heirs from him. The Gaunt bloodline was poison, corrupted with dark practices and immorality. Sooner or later, one of them would cause unforgivable chaos in the world, so he was determined to prevent it from happening anyway he could.

“I’m sorry that you had to do this.” You told him, taking a closer look at the books on his nightstand. You sounded sincere, as if you felt guilty that he now had the privilege of calling you his wife. “You should have been able to marry someone you love.”

Ominis had never felt anything remotely close to what was described in the books he read for someone, nor did he experience the crushes Sebastian so often had on a random person every once in a while. The only woman that had somehow interested him was you. He cared about you. And maybe it was an acceptable foundation for a marriage.

“You should have been able to do that too.” You sat on his bed, your wedding dress crunching up above your legs. He approached, heart hammering in his chest. “But for what it’s worth, I consider myself lucky to call you my wife.”

You smiled and reached out to take his hand in yours. His palms were sweaty, as per usual when you were around, but you didn’t seem bothered by that, pulling him so that he’d sit on the bed next to you.

“Do you mind if I try something ?” You asked him, a bit hesitantly. He took a sharp inhale of air, his body straightening up with sudden tension. In appearance, he seemed quite uncomfortable to be sitting so close to you, and even more now that you had asked him such a question, but he nodded despite hating being unsure of what to expect.

You moved closer, slowly. Your scent tickled his nose, he knew it by heart, he had fell asleep more than once to the faint perfume you left on the common room’s couch pillows, usually prompting him to dream of you. He felt your soft, warm breath caress his skin, indicating that your face was inching impossibly close towards his. He held his breath as you pressed your delicate lips to his, giving him a chaste kiss to seal your union, far from prying eyes.

He kept his eyes closed when you moved away, conflicted emotions passing on his face. He wasn’t expecting to feel so many tingles in his stomach after such a light and short kiss, yet even now that you had moved away, he still felt millions of butterflies tingling under his skin. He left out the breath he had been holding, taking just enough air to say your name, softly.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to know what it felt like.” You apologized, and he knew from the sound of your voice that you must be blushing.

He had wondered what it would feel like to kiss you too, more than he’d like to admit. A friend shouldn’t be curious about such things, it felt wrong to him, like he was betraying you by having such intimate thoughts about you. He hated how conflicted he felt whenever he woke up with an erection because he had spent the night dreaming of you touching him, and he hated how his primal instinct sometimes took over and he’d end up brushing against your chest or your back under the pretense that he couldn’t see what he was doing. He shouldn’t feel so desperate for his friend to kiss him again, and surely he shouldn’t want to be given permission to explore the body of his friend in details… But perhaps, if such desires weren’t acceptable between friends, they could be considered reasonable ones to have for his wife…

“Don’t apologize, we’re married now after all.” He gulped, feeling the temperature of his body rising. “Kissing is one of the many things that will be expected from us.”

You moved, suddenly growing agitated next to him. He could hear the rustle of the fabric of your wedding dress, the sound of clasps being opened and knots getting untied. He didn’t dare to move, not even breathe, as he carefully listened for a clue as to what you were up to. Then, he felt your hands on his chest, slowly undoing the buttons of his vest, one by one.

“What are you doing ?” He asked, his breath catching in his throat when his hands, resting on his lap, brushed against your bare thighs.

“Another thing that is expected of us.” You simply replied, now dragging his vest down his shoulders, before repeating the same actions to remove his shirt. He heard your surprised, yet quiet, gasp and the way your breathing became labored at the sight of his chest. He felt your fingers tracing the lines of his abs, brushing against the blond hair under his navel and grazing the elastic of his pants.

He said your name in a whisper, wanting it to be a warning but coming out like a desperate plea. You shouldn’t be touching him like this, not because it was what your families required of you. You should only do it because you wanted to. So he knew he had to stop you before it went too far, before he wouldn’t be able to refuse, before his body was set ablaze by his repressed lust for yours otherwise, there would be no way of stopping him anymore. He would consume you. Worship you. Devour you. And his promise to never disrespect you would be just a distant memory already, because none of the things he wanted to do to you were respectable.

But you weren’t making it easy for him to keep his word. Your hand was still tracing the lines of his chest like he was some kind of sculpture you were admiring, taking in every detail like he would. And when you moved to sit on his lap, straddling him and trapping him between you and the bed, he tensed up and groaned.

He brought his hands to your hips, telling himself that he’d gently guide you off of him so that he’d be able to remain a gentleman and not take advantage of the admirable loyalty you had for your family with your determination to complete your marital duties right away, but when he felt nothing but your warm skin under his fingers, when you leaned forward to press your naked chest against his and plant another soft kiss on his lips, the remaining of his will power to resist you dissolved.

“We shouldn’t be doing this, we’re friends.” He said, because that was what he usually told himself whenever he thought about you while rubbing himself in the shower. Except he wasn’t the one gripping on his erection this time. You had easily opened up his pants and now the evidence of his desire for you was held tightly in your hand. Your thumb stroked the tip of his erection, spreading the clear drop of precum that had escaped from it over the sensitive pink skin.

“We’re not friends anymore, Ominis. We’re married.” You corrected him, your words destroying the only argument he had to convince himself to not behave like some kind of wild animal as he couldn’t seem to stop his hands from exploring your naked body. “I wasn’t allowed to organize my wedding, chose my dress or invite my friends… Don’t rob me from having a beautiful wedding night. Please.”

His erection twitched in your hand. You were asking so nicely, so politely, for something so intense and passionate, it made him even harder. He put his arm around your waist, securely holding you as he removed you from his lap and laid you down on his bed with a strength you never expected him to have.

“Are you sure this is what you want ?” He inquired, holding himself above you with his hands gripping the headboard, his pants and underwear down to his knees.

“Absolutely.” You confirmed, with a shudder of excitement.

“Very well.” His voice was low, revealing just how badly he wanted this too. He placed a hand on your knee and followed the path all the way up to your core. He could feel the wetness and warmth coming from your center, begging for his attention. He traced the slit between your legs a few times, making you gasp with anticipation. Then, he pushed a finger passed your entrance, your whimper resounding in his ears. He moved his hand in a back and forth motion, not really aiming to pleasure you this way but trying to memorize a path he couldn’t see.

He took his finger out, bringing his hand back to his impatient cock. He wiped your wetness over his tip, mixing it with the fresh drops of precum that coated his skin. Once most of his hard length was slick and sticky, he brought his tip exactly where his finger had been, rubbing it between your wet folds to gather even more moisture before finally pushing it inside you. He heard you gasp loudly and he did too, the tightness of your cunt taking him by surprise.

He easlily managed to slide even deeper, burying his entire length inside of you with a satisfied sigh. He could hear your panting breaths, your soft cries in reaction to his movements inside you and the way you moaned his name, encouraging him to rock his hips against yours a few times.

It was nothing like he had thought it would be. His hand had never made him feel as good as you did, your warmth, wetness and tightness around him were intoxicating. The most wonderful thing he had ever experienced.

He slowly pulled himself almost all the way out, only to shove himself back in with more force. He could feel his tip hitting deep inside you, pleasure building in his abdomen with each of his quick pushes.

The sounds you made were music to his ears, the way you reacted to each of his thrusts was delightful, better than what he had imagined in his most vivid fantasies. He never expected you to be so loud, perfectly showing him how good he was making you feel. He increased his speed and you moaned even louder, practically crying out his name.

He felt your legs closing around his waist, keeping him close while your nails dug into his back, the whole bed shaking in rythym with his movements. Was he too rough ? How could he not be ? It was impossible to be more gentle when the pleasure he felt with each thrust kept intensifying, he was going to lose his mind, chasing the feeling, building it up until he couldn’t take it anymore.

You cried out one more time and your body tensed up, tightening around him so viciously that he finally reached his climax, instantly filling you up with his release. You kept your legs around him, your body spasming with intense pleasure as he struggled to catch his breath for a moment, his thoughts slowly coming back into order.

He waited until your body stopped twitching to remove himself, feeling your shudder as he pulled his spent erection out of you. You still were softly panting, your chest rising and falling under his hand while the other still clasped tightly the headboard. He leaned over, easily finding your lips from which breathless gasps still escaped. He kissed you, gently, as a way to apologize for losing control of himself and felt relieved when you returned his kiss even more fervently.

He moved to his side, lying down next to you to give you enough space to catch your breath but you inched closer, nuzzling your naked body against his in a cuddle that felt even more intimate than what he had just did to you.

“Thank you.” You said softly, sounding truly happy. Ominis smiled, his fingers absently caressing your back, playing with strands of your now messy hair. “I’m glad to have you as my husband.”

Husband. The word turned in his head, reminding him that you now were officially a couple. Mrs Ominis Gaunt; his best friend, his wife, his lover… His.

(( Masterlist ))

Next in this series;

[thenerdykneazle]

Her Touch

Summary: Ominis had never been fond of being touched. Or, at least, he had few positive experiences with it. That changed with the arrival of the new fifth-year.

Ominis Gaunt x F!MC

Warnings: 18+ (only very mild spice here but I do want to do a time jumped part 2 that would be explicit), mentions of Ominis's abusive family, touch-starved Ominis

Word count: 3004

The first time you touched Ominis, he hadn’t been expecting it. It was in the Scriptorium, after he had commanded the door to open in Parseltongue. You had excitedly grabbed his shoulders as you said, “Ominis! You possess a rare ability, indeed!”

He had jumped at the sudden contact. Though, fortunately, you hadn’t seemed to notice. Your attention was quickly monopolised by Sebastian. Ominis was glad for it, as he wouldn’t have wanted to offend you, especially after his outburst at you outside the Undercroft. He still marvelled at how understanding you had been – how quickly you had forgiven him. He wasn’t used to such mercy. Certainly not from his family, and even Sebastian had a tendency to hold a grudge. Ominis definitely did.

Down in the Scriptorium, it had caught him off guard when you grabbed him, as he couldn’t see it coming. Besides, he didn’t generally like being touched. He hadn’t had many positive instances of others being in his personal space.

Most often, it involved accidentally bumping into other students. Other times, it was someone grabbing him to lead him off somewhere without bothering to get his permission first. Growing up, it had included a lot of being dragged by his ear by his mother or his older brother shoving him out of his way. The consequence of all of it was that Ominis did not associate being touched with positive experiences. They were jarring, often painful encounters.

However, already by the second time you touched him, it was different. Still in the Scriptorium, you had rested your hand on his arm as you told him you had found his Aunt Noctua’s remains. You didn’t grab his forearm; you just rested your hand gently on it. Not even your whole hand – just the tips of your fingers, really. It was a whisper of a touch, but you let it linger there. It was oddly comforting – like you were trying to communicate that he wasn’t alone. It kept him grounded to reality as he reckoned with the fact that his aunt truly was gone.

The third touch was when you agreed to tell Ominis if Sebastian was going to pursue dark magic further. You’d rested a hand on his shoulder as you vowed to tell him. He could tell you were sincere in your promise from your steady hand. That was verified when he received your owl alerting him that Sebastian had gone to the catacombs in search of Slytherin’s relic.

Though he always tried to take note, Ominis couldn’t remember every time you touched him. As your friendship grew, he quickly found out that you were what Sebastian called a “touchy-feely type.” You would hug him hello and goodbye, often multiple times a day. At first, you’d just sling one arm behind his back with your sides pressed together. After several months, you would wrap both arms around him as you held him chest-to-chest. Those hugs always left his face warm and his heart beating faster.

You also started to rest your head on his shoulder when you got tired. You always asked if it was all right. Ominis was surprised with himself the first few times, because he found that he quite enjoyed the weight and warmth of your head on his shoulder. You seemed so vulnerable when you leaned against him, trusting him to support you and not let any harm befall you should you give in to sleep. He even, on rare occasions and only when he felt completely secure in his environment, rested his own head back on yours. That usually resulted in him taking a nap, as well. He found that, despite the crick in his neck that he always awoke with, those were his most satisfying naps.

More recently, the back of your hand kept brushing against his when the two of you would walk together. He had jerked his hand away the first time, not anticipating the contact. He regretted it instantly when you muttered an apology. Ominis insisted that it was quite all right, though he was keenly aware that his actions had undermined his assertion. As it kept happening, Ominis’s reaction changed over time. He started to keep his hand very still so that yours might keep brushing against it. Now when it happened, his instinct was to extend his fingers toward you – though, he never actually did what he really wanted, which was to take hold of your hand.

Your touch had become a comfort for him. You held him when he cried, rubbed soothing circles on his back when he was anxious, and sat with your side pressed into his when he was lonely. Ominis had never known the multitude of problems a simple touch could solve before he met you.

Nor, however, had Ominis known the particular torment that such a touch could inflict. Just having you near him was enough to make his palms sweaty and his breathing shallow. If you rested a hand between his shoulder blades or, even worse, against his thigh, it sent his brain into a fit. He would get sweaty everywhere, and his tie would suddenly feel too tight. Just before the summer holidays, you had reclined on one of the sofas in the Room of Requirement as you read a novel while awaiting your exam scores. You invited Ominis to join you and promptly bridged your legs over his lap when he sat down. That had vexed him most of all. You hadn’t even rested them on him, just sort of over with your feet planted on the cushion to his right and your bum against his left thigh.

Ominis hadn’t known what to do with his hands. He didn’t want to accidentally rest them somewhere inappropriate, but he didn’t want to be awkward, either. Eventually, he settled on resting his left arm on the back of the sofa and his right hand on your stocking-clad knee. His thumb began absently stroking back and forth just above it, and he had blushed furiously when he grazed the hem of your skirts. It had brought, unbidden, the idea of sliding his hand underneath the fabric, trailing it up your thigh. That had a sudden heat building in his abdomen – and spreading across his cheeks.

“How is your book?” he had asked, hoping for a distraction.

“Erm…yeah. It’s…it’s good,” you had replied.

Ominis spent entirely too long trying to analyse your odd response. Had you been uncomfortable? Or perhaps just absorbed in your book? Could you have been as affected by the proximity between you two as he had? He couldn’t be sure, and he certainly wasn’t about to ask, “Are you finding this as stimulating as I am? Because I’m feeling quite randy.”

That would’ve gone over well.

He pondered the possibilities frequently over the holidays. Two months spent apart from you were horrible. Not only did he have to deal with his family, but he missed you something dreadful. At least, he had been accompanied by Sebastian, who spent the entire time at Gaunt Manor given he had no guardian in Feldcroft to look after him.

Ominis didn’t realise how much he’d been brooding until his friend called him out for having “resting sad face” and demanded to know what was bothering him. They had been lying in their beds, and Ominis shifted to his side to face Sebastian before admitting that he missed you.

“I think I’ve grown to have quite strong feelings for her,” he confessed.

Sebastian snorted out a laugh. “Oh, you think so, do you?” he asked, sounding thoroughly amused.

“It’s not funny!” Ominis groused, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“It’s funny that you think it isn’t abundantly obvious that you fancy her, mate,” Sebastian retorted.

Ominis’s eyes widened. “What?” he asked, horrified at the thought of everyone knowing his feelings for you. He wasn’t ashamed of them, but he was quite a private person. The idea of everyone knowing such personal feelings of his was mortifying.

“Well, maybe not to her. People tend to be a bit thick about other’s feelings toward them, but I expect that anyone who knows you two can see it. You turn into a mushy little crup when she’s around,” Sebastian explained.

“I do not!” Ominis replied indignantly.

“Sure,” Sebastian said sceptically, clearly trying to avoid a fight.

They fell silent for several long moments.

“She fancies you too, you know,” Sebastian stated.

Ominin’s pulse jumped. “You can’t possibly know that,” he argued, trying to temper the hope bubbling up in his chest.

“I knew you about your cush, didn’t I?” Sebastian retorted. “Besides, she told me she does.”

“She did?” Ominis said eagerly. “Wait, you can’t tell me this, Sebastian! You’re betraying her confidence!”

Sebastian let out an exasperated sigh. “She never said I couldn’t tell you,” he replied.

“I’m sure it was implied,” Ominis said. “But…she really has feelings for me, too?”

“Without a doubt,” Sebastian said confidently.

That gave Ominis a lot more to think about before school resumed. He flipped back and forth between being elated at the idea that you reciprocated his feelings and panicking that the separation would change that.

All his fears melted away the instant you hugged him on the platform at King’s Cross station. It was the best hug he’d ever gotten. You clung to him like you never wanted to let go again, and Ominis would’ve been all right with that.

“Gods, I missed you two!” you said before giving Sebastian a hug, leaving Ominis to mourn the loss of your arms around him. “How was your holiday?”

“As good as being around my family can be,” Ominis replied. “How was yours?”

“Brilliant! Though, I wish you two could’ve visited!” you said.

The boys both agreed, though Ominis knew his parents would’ve never let him stay with a family they didn’t know. Or, rather, who were of unvetted blood status. He wasn’t about to subject her to experiencing his family in their own domain, so he hadn’t invited her to come to him.

Ominis had a lingering worry that things would be different between you two – that spending the summer apart would make things awkward between you. But when you rested your head on his shoulder and fell asleep as the train rattled down the tracks, he felt confident that you’d fall right back into how things were at the end of the last term.

Indeed, things seemed the same if not better. You often invited him to study in the Room of Requirement. His fear that he had made you uncomfortable the last time you’d been on a sofa together was eliminated when you took to putting your legs over his more often than not whilst you did your assigned readings. You only opted for one of the desks in the room if you had to write an essay.

It was a beautiful sort of torture to have you so close to him. It drastically decreased Ominis’s reading speed, but he found himself looking forward to studying now. He’d rest one hand on your knee while his other held his wand to let him read his tome. Sometimes you’d read aloud to him. Sometimes he’d hug your closer leg to his chest and rest his chin on your knee. It was like having his childhood stuffy but warmer and attached to someone who genuinely cared about him.

In the safety of your embrace, he shared his more intimate thoughts with you. Not the one about running his hand up your skirt, but about his hopes for the future, his frustrations with his family, and even his insecurities. You, in turn, opened up to him, as well. And as the weather got colder, you kept him warm in the draughty castle. Though, he was prepared to conjure a thick wool blanket over you if you ever seemed to be chilled.

After a month of being back a school, Ominis decided to admit his feelings to you. He was certain yours couldn’t have vanished over the summer given how you had only gotten more comfortable around him. However, when Ominis went to voice his feelings, he found that he didn’t know how. He knew how he felt about you, but he had spent his whole life suppressing how he felt to keep from stirring up trouble at home.

“I need to tell you something,” Ominis admitted during your daily study session.

He could hear you close your book and set it on the coffee table, giving him your full attention. “What is it?” you asked, sounding concerned.

“I…Well, I…” he tried, but his words were failing him. He usually fancied himself a rather eloquent individual, but he felt thoroughly uneducated as he stammered at you.

How was he supposed to tell you what was in his heart? Just say, “I like you”? Of course he liked you. You were friends. Close friends. “I fancy you” seemed so juvenile. “I want to court you” was too impersonal. It could be for your talent or station, but he wanted you to know how taken he was with who you were as a person.

You rested a hand lightly on his arm. “You can tell me anything, Ominis,” you said earnestly.

His heart swelled at your kindness. He wished he could say what he felt, but he didn’t have the right words. He moved to hold the hand you’d rested on him, lacing his fingers with yours. “I really like this,” he said, giving your hand a squeeze.

You squeezed his hand back. “I like it, too,” you replied.

“Good. I…I had hoped you do,” he said clumsily.

You stayed like that until dinner, your studies forgotten as you just basked in the closeness of each other. It hadn’t been exactly what Ominis had tried to accomplish, but it was definitely progress.

Ominis started taking other opportunities to hold your hand. He’d hold it during classes, giving up his dominant hand in favour of your warmth. Besides, he knew you’d share your notes with him later. He’d also search it out while you studied. He’d graze the backs of his fingers up your leg until he found your arm, which he’d follow down to the hand resting in your lap.

Sometimes, you’d take the initiative, taking hold of his hand while it still rested on your knee. Usually, you’d pull it down to rest it your lap or on your stomach, so you could relax your own arm. It always made Ominis’s heart flutter to know you wanted to hold his hand – and he found your occasional impatience quite endearing.

Then, one day in November, you pulled his hand to your lips, instead. His breath hitched as you placed a gentle kiss on his knuckles. Your lips were soft and warm, and Ominis had the impulse to reach out and brush his fingers over them.

“Is that okay?” you asked cautiously, your warm breath hitting the back of his hand.

“Y-yes, of course,” Ominis replied breathlessly. He could feel his face flushing with heat.

“Can I ask you something?” you said, sounding grave.

“Anything,” Ominis replied without hesitation despite the pit of worry in his stomach.

You shifted on the sofa, moving to sit up. Your knees pressed against his leg as you sat with your legs tucked under you. Ominis could hear you take in a deep breath before you spoke. “What are we?”

Ominis’s brows pulled together. “What?”

“To each other,” you clarified. “I mean, do you like me?”

“Most ardently,” Ominis admitted with conviction. It was only after the words had passed from his lips that he worried he’d been severely mistaken about your feelings.

“Oh,” you breathed out, sounding surprised. That only heightened his anxiety. “Do you not want to court me?”

“No, I do,” Ominis replied earnestly, wondering what reason you could have to think he wouldn’t.

“Then, why don’t you?” you asked. You didn’t sound upset, just curious.

“Well, I…I wasn’t sure if you’d want to, and…I didn’t know how to ask, I guess,” he said.

“I do,” you said before adding, “want to, I mean.”

Ominis felt like he’d just eaten a handful of Fizzing Whizbees. His whole body felt light, like he might float right off the sofa. “Really?” he asked eagerly, before trying to force himself to be rational. “Are you certain? I’m…not very good at this sort of thing. Clearly. I’m sure you could find someone much better suited to the task.”

“I don’t want someone else,” you said. “I like you, Ominis.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Sebastian told me you did over the summer, I just…didn’t know how to tell you that I felt the same without it sounding ridiculous,” he admitted, not wanting any secrets between you.

“Sebastian told you?” you asked.

“I scolded him for betraying what you had told him, but he said you hadn’t asked him to keep it secret,” Ominis explained.

“I never told Sebastian that I have feelings for you,” you stated.

Ominis’s jaw dropped. “That lying rat!” he said, his anger swelling.

You chuckled. “Well, he wasn’t wrong,” you pointed out.

“I suppose not,” Ominis said, still irritated with his best friend. It was hard to stay upset, though, when he realised you had all but agreed to court him. “So, to make it official, would you do me the honour of letting me court you?”

“Yes,” you said without hesitation.

Ominis was beaming. Even knowing your answer ahead of time, he still felt overjoyed to hear it.

His singing heart began pounding hard in his chest as he felt your palm rest gently against his cheek. Your breath ghosted over his face as you leaned in, and he tilted his chin up to meet you. Your lips met his in a soft embrace. As they interlocked, it was a confession of your budding affections. A tender pledge of future bliss. You were his – your touch, your love, your loyalty. And he was yours, wholly and truly.

A/N: The line "a tender pledge of future bliss" is from the poem "To A Kiss" by Robert Burns