What I Did For Love

by Tauriel_Camoran

Summary:

Siobhan (MC) and Sebastian have not heard from Ominis since he vanished after fifth year. Four years later, news spreads of his father's death, and Siobhan receives a visitor with hostile intentions.

Chapter 1

GAUNT PATRIARCH DEAD – ESTATE DIVIDED AMONGST GAUNT HEIRS

 

Siobhan stopped in her tracks as she passed The Daily Prophet newsstand. The headline that caught her eye had made her heart clench. Someone bumped into her from behind, not having noticed her abrupt halt. She turned to the portly middle-aged wizard and apologized before hustling over to the stand. She pulled the paper from the display and fumbled in her pouch for a knut to hastily hand to the newsboy.

Siobhan unfolded the paper and scanned the moving picture for her old friend's face, but wondered if she would recognize him after their years of estrangement. The image under the headline showed a group of people, all with light hair except for the one facing the camera. He had dark eyes crinkled by the smirk on his thin mouth. His long dark hair framed his face down to his very broad shoulders. Marvolo, Siobhan thought to herself. She had never seen him before but could only assume this was him based on how she remembered hearing Sebastian describe him. Even in the black-and-white photograph, the smug cruelty in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Over his shoulder, a pale head of hair, taller than him by several inches, was walking away from the camera, flanked by two women, each holding one of his arms. His mother and sister?

Siobhan ached, the unhealed hole in their lives that was Ominis glaring at her from the back of his head. She would know that slicked-back hair anywhere but desperately wished the photographer could have caught even his profile. She had not seen Ominis since the end of fifth year.

She turned on her heel and hurried home to the flat she shared with Sebastian. Well… sometimes. Though they had cemented their relationship in sixth year, they spent little time together nowadays. While Siobhan had secured a position at the Ministry’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, spending her days advocating for the protection of such creatures, and had a steady work schedule, Sebastian had a difficult time landing anything steady after Hogwarts. He eventually found freelance work as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts, but it took him all around the world for indeterminate amounts of time.

Sebastian had barely been home for a month, and he was already preparing to floo off to Australia in search of some dark artifact or another. He had never admitted it to Siobhan, but she was certain he was still looking for something to cure Anne. Not that they even knew where his twin was, but the fervor with which he threw himself into these hunts was only mirrored by his obsession in fifth year. It made her uneasy, considering everything that happened that year, but whenever she tried to address it with him, he brushed her off and insisted she was imagining the connection.

She had long since accepted that, even if that was what his real goal was, he would not tell her that. By the time she got to the top landing, she was a little out of breath. She chuckled wryly, remembering how she, only a couple of years ago, used to traipse all over the Highlands with her friends like she had all of the time and energy in the world. Now, here she was, barely twenty years old, and sucking the smoggy London air from five flights of stairs.

She often found herself thinking back to those days before she could stop herself. She shook the bright memories off and gripped the handle of her front door, muttering the unlocking spell before entering.

She held the newspaper up, eager to tell Sebastian before he left, but as she looked around their studio, the only signs of Sebastian were slightly askew, empty drawers and a note on the dining table.

She dropped her satchel by the door and trudged over to the note, picking it up somewhat apathetically.

 

Bhan-Bhan,

 

I had hoped to wait until you got home from work, but the expedition owled to move up our departure time. I have to leave now if I am going to meet them to portkey to the site. Don’t be miffed with me.

I promise to be home as soon as I can. We have a really solid lead this time. I shouldn’t be gone for more than two weeks.

I promise, when I get home, I’m going to take you on holiday. Let your boss know to be ready for you to take some time off!  Or we could just skive off like we used to at Hogwarts!

 

All my love,

Sebastian

 

Siobhan sighed as she dropped the note back onto the table and kicked off her ankle-high boots. She shifted the newspaper back into her dominant hand and slugged over to drop herself on the full-size bed they shared… when Sebastian was home. He had told her the last expedition would last a week, and he was gone for two months. To his credit, he returned with a large pack of Italian biscotti and Swiss chocolate for her from his travels and had apologized profusely, but she would rather her was just honest with her about how long he would be gone or be upfront that he didn’t know.

Siobhan lifted the paper back up and eyed the back of Ominis’s head. Scanning the details of the article, she saw that his father, Corvinus, had passed away a few weeks ago and that the Gaunt family estate had been divided between his children, Marvolo, Nelisa, and Ominis. Apparently, at the will reading, Nelisa had reportedly deferred her share of the estate to Marvolo. The article said nothing else of Ominis besides the initial mention of him. Most of the article talked about Marvolo. She supposed that made sense, given that he was the oldest son.

Her eyes kept being drawn to Ominis. It was maddening. He had disappeared from their lives with no explanation, and they had tried to move on. At least, she tried. Sebastian had succeeded. Although he was initially despondent, by the winter holiday, he seemed to be coping with the loss of his dearest friend. They simply never spoke about him, as if pretending he never existed would keep the pain of his disappearance locked away.

Personally, Siobhan was able to put it out of her mind for longer periods, but more often than she wished, something would trigger a memory of the three of them together, and she would end up tormenting herself by asking the same questions over and over again. Why? Was he not able to bring himself to forgive Sebastian for Uncle Solomon, like Anne? Did he blame me for not keeping Sebastian on the right path?

Those seemed like the logical answers, but she had never known Ominis to be someone who shied away from confrontation. If he had felt that way, the boy she knew would have said something. He would have chastised them and given them a piece of his mind. He wouldn’t just vanish.

Looking back at the picture, she could see the tops of his shoulders peeking out. They were broader than she remembered. She couldn’t see his face, but she had to remind herself that the boy she knew was long gone. Ominis had grown up. So had she and Sebastian. They led separate lives. Even if she never understood exactly why, she would never find peace until she could make herself accept that.

A knock at the door disturbed her melancholy, and Siobhan shot up. Had Sebastian come back? Had he changed his mind and decided to stay home with her? She dropped the paper at the table next to Sebastian’s note and jogged to the door to fling it open and pull Sebastian inside.

Smug, cruel eyes stared down at her. “Marvolo,” she said in shock.

The new Gaunt patriarch let his smirk widen. “Ah, that is the voice. You must be Siobhan.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry, we haven’t met, have we?”

Marvolo chuckled and tucked his very long arms under his expensive robe. Siobhan reflexively reached for her wand, holstered under her own robe. Every nerve in her body was screaming, Danger!

“No, we haven’t. But I am afraid I have some need of your… assistance… to send a… message,” Marvolo drawled.

“What do you want with—” was all Siobhan was able to say before everything went black.

Chapter 2

Notes:

CW: Graphic description of sexual assault

Siobhan came back to consciousness slowly and started to stretch her stiff limbs, when she realized her hands met with resistance. She had been restrained. Her eyes flailed wildly, taking in what she could make out of her surroundings. The room was dark, but once her eyes adjusted,  she could discern it was far fancier than her humble flat. The furniture looked expensive, including the finely carved wooden posts that framed the bed she was lying on.

A silken rope bound her wrists together and to the headboard. Her legs were free, and she shifted them together instinctively under her long skirt, feeling vulnerable. A chuckle she heard through the door sent a chill down her spine, and she glared over at it, angling her head to listen for any signs of life. She was not used to feeling powerless, and her body was in full fight or flight mode, but neither seemed really possible. Even if her hands were free, she could only assume that whoever had bound her had taken her wand.

“That brat is going to learn what it means to cross me,” Marvolo’s voice drifted under the door. “Keep a lookout. I don’t want any interruptions.” The door handle turned, and her captor stepped into the room. Seeing him fully in person, Siobhan was struck by how oddly proportioned he was. She would never have guessed he was related to Ominis. While her once friend had been slender and elegant, his brother was short and stocky. Expansive shoulders led down to arms that seemed too long for his body. He removed his wand from his trousers and locked the door behind him.

“What the fuck?” she muttered, her voice coming out dry and scratchy from sleep.

The sneer that contorted Marvolo’s face brought everything back, and she instantly started struggling against her bindings. “Such language,” he crooned. “Would hardly believe you’re pure-blooded with manners like that.”

Siobhan scoffed. Her family didn’t have any muggleborn witches or wizards as far as she knew, but they also didn’t trace their lineage as obsessively as the Gaunts did. Her family, like Sebastian’s, was humble despite its classification, about as far from aristocracy as one could get. “And you call these manners?” she tugged hard on her bindings.

Marvolo stepped to the side of the bed and ran his fingertips along the rope before tracing his hand down her arm.  She shivered at the contact, not missing his expression turning darker as he drank her helpless form in. His hand traversed into her hair, yanking her head back painfully and making her back arch as she tried not to let out a cry, but it proved futile.

“Mmm, you will have to forgive this particular brand of… hospitality, love,” Marvolo said. “Can’t take any chances.”

“Then why leave my legs free?” she challenged.

His answering laugh was sinister. “Oh, well, it’s no fun if you don’t fight at least a little.”

Siobhan’s blood ran cold. “Fight… fight what?”

Marvolo licked his lips. “Oooh, that spark of fear in your eyes. Delicious! I think you’re getting it.” He crawled up onto the bed, straddling her hips with his knees.  Without any further preamble, he hastily undid his belt and trousers, withdrawing his flaccid manhood from his drawers, and started to stroke himself.

Siobhan stared in shock. Beyond her initial disgust was pure confusion. She didn’t understand why Marvolo Gaunt of all people would have specifically sought her out for this.

Marvolo hardened only slightly as he watched her fail to keep her fear off of her face. Seeing this broke her out of her shock, and she started to kick and try to buck him off of her, but he sat his full weight on her oppressively, keeping her pinned to the mattress. “Over my dead body, you sick freak,” she shouted.

Marvolo’s eyes glinted menacingly. “Wouldn’t that be something? Like I said though, I prefer you like this. I’m going to enjoy breaking you, ruining you.”

Siobhan gritted her teeth. “Not with that worm you won’t.”

Marvolo grimaced. “We’ll see if you’re that brave when this worm is tearing into your arse!”

She blanched, and he shifted himself back off of her to try and get between her legs. She immediately started flailing, landing a solid kick right where it would hurt him most. Marvolo doubled over momentarily, huffing as the air was driven from his lungs before lashing out. The back of his hand connected with her cheek. She felt her lip split open, and blood started to run down her face. Her head was ringing from the impact, and Marvolo took advantage of her momentary lapse to force her skirt up over her hips and position himself between her knees.

As she forced her awareness back, she realized she had little left in the way of defense. “You little cunt,” Marvolo said before spitting on her face. She flinched when the saliva made contact with her already bruising cheek. “You’ll regret that.”

He resumed his ministrations on himself and forcefully tugged her knickers aside with his free hand. He fumbled around between her legs, touching her clumsily. She was dry as a bone, and his uncaring touch made her flinch and cry out. Tears started to prick the corners of her eyes as he started trying to stuff his fingers into her. It hurt, and she couldn’t keep herself quiet as she started to beg him to stop, fear overcoming her pride. This made no sense.

“Mmmm, even if you weren’t a dishy bitch, I wouldn’t want to stop. Like I said, you’re going to help me send a message. Still, you’ll be the prettiest cunt I’ve fucked in a good while. You would be wasted on him anyway. It’s a real shame I couldn’t make him watch.” Marvolo smirked triumphantly down at her as he continued trying to force his fingers into her dry entrance. He started thrusting his hips into his fist in synch with his other hand, groaning and clearly getting off on her cries of discomfort and pain.

Siobhan had never felt so exposed and helpless in her life. She felt like she was in a nightmare. A sob tore itself from her. Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the room. Fire, smoke, and debris filled the air as the door was blasted off of its hinges, taking a good chunk of the wall with it.

Everything then happened within her next breath. Marvolo cursed and jerked away from her. He turned to face the intruder, his cock still hanging out of his trousers. A blinking red light filled the room, and a commanding voice shouted out, “Imperio.”

Marvolo stilled above her, relaxing his posture and pocketing his wand. The air cleared somewhat, and the blinking light approached quickly.

Siobhan started to openly sob when she made out Ominis through the haze. He shoved his brother off of her and didn't seem to register the crunch that permeated the air when he fell face-first to the hard floor, his instinct to brace his fall suppressed by the Imperius Curse. Ominis reached his free hand out but then hesitated. His wand scanned over her supine form, assessing her while the other hand simply hovered over her like he was scared she would fall apart if he touched her.

Looking at his face for the first time in four years, after everything that had just happened, she realized it was very possible she might. His sightless, clouded eyes were wide. He looked panicked, but she couldn’t find any words to address him. She just cried, taking him in. He had always had an aristocratic face, long with strong cheekbones and jaw, but all traces of boyish youth had vanished, leaving him sharper and more… well… gaunt.

“Siobhan,” he finally said. “I…are you… agh…” He shook his head, abandoning his effort to speak to her. He instead muttered an incantation, vanishing the ropes from her wrists. He held out a hand to her. She took it with her own trembling one and let him draw her up off the bed. Ominis furrowed his brow and made a distressed sound. His hand came up gently, pulling her skirt down over her hips so it would fall back into place. As he did so, she noticed he was shaking as well. None of this seemed real. First, Marvolo’s senseless attack, and now her estranged friend was standing in front of her, touching her, after so much time. It was surreal, and her mind couldn’t process all of it.

She did notice, once she was standing, just how much taller he was than her now. Her head barely came up to his shoulders. Her shaking legs gave out, and she started to fall over. Ominis reacted instinctively, wrapping his arms around her to steady her. He picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her shoulders. Siobhan gripped the lapel of his suit and buried her face into his chest, breathing in the once-familiar smell of citrus and bergamot. Sobs continued to wrack her body, tears flowing freely, and Ominis took off, moving quickly through the hole in the wall and down a hallway.

Chapter 3

Siobhan paid little attention to the series of doors and corridors they passed. She noticed the air become cooler when they stepped outside into the night air, then the tugging sensation in her gut when Ominis apparated them away. Siobhan loosened her grip on Ominis’ suit when they arrived wherever he was taking her. She noticed that he did not relax in the slightest until he had brought her through the front door.

Once she heard the door close behind them, along with a series of locking charms and wards being activated, she pulled her face away from his chest to examine their surroundings.

A fire flickered in a hearth, framed by a stone mantle. This was the only light illuminating the modest cottage. To the right of the door, a spotless kitchen led into an open dining space with a small table. Beyond that was the fireplace across from a loveseat and armchair. To the left of them, there was another door. Ominis disrupted her examination by carrying her over to the fireplace and setting her down on the loveseat. He stood, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Would you like for me to draw a bath?” he asked softly.

Siobhan sighed. That sounded like exactly what she needed right now. She nodded and whispered, “Yes, thank you.”

Without another word, Ominis retreated to the other side of the room where a metal clawfoot tub stood in the farthest corner of the recessed wall. Across from it, on the side of the recess closest to the doors, there was a queen-sized bed.

Nothing in the cottage was particularly opulent but seemed sturdy and well cared for. Ominis returned to her side and offered a hand to assist her up. She took it, allowing him to support her as she rose, but she felt steadier once she was on her feet and released his hand, striding over to the tub now steaming with water.

She noticed a pleasant scent coming from the bath. She sniffed and stopped walking. Blackcurrant, rose, and ambrette. Those were the exact notes of her favorite perfume. Her mother had given her bottle of it to her before she passed away, and Siobhan had always found that scent incredibly comforting.

She turned and looked wide-eyed at Ominis, who shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You remembered?”

She didn’t have to specify. Ominis nodded solemnly. He shrugged and offered sheepishly, “To be fair, given I have one fewer sense than most people, sensory things like smell and sound stick out much more to me than they would to you.”

Siobhan pressed her lips together tightly and tilted her head up to look at him, tears of a different source threatening her now. It had been so long, but was there some degree of friendship still buried under all of the distance?

Ominis cleared his throat after a few moments of her silence. “I have placed towels and some spare clothes on that counter there.” He raised his wand and conjured a folding partition near the bath. “Take all the time you wish. I will step outside. You can just knock on the front door whenever you are done.”

He turned on his heel. Siobhan didn’t know why she responded so strongly, but she instantly called out, “Wait! You’re going to wait outside of the cottage?”

Ominis stopped walking and turned his head enough for her to see his profile. “Naturally.”

Siobhan was confused. “But… you’re blind.”

Ominis chuckled. “Thank you for breaking the news to me so gently.” She snickered. She had missed his cutting quips more than she realized. It was good to see he still had that sense of humor. She lost hers when he continued. “In all seriousness, given… everything, I assume the last thing you want is to be in such a vulnerable state with a man nearby.”

Siobhan’s memory flashed through her mind, but she forced it down. He was not Marvolo. “It is getting colder outside by the moment. And… I always knew I was safe with the boy Ominis. Is there any reason that should have changed with the man?”

He turned fully to face her now, his face crumpled with an emotion she could not name for a moment before he regained control of himself. “No, Siobhan. You are always safe with me,” he said, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice as easily as his face.

Siobhan offered him a small smile. “That’s settled then. You can sit by the fire, in your warm cottage, rather than putting yourself outside like a dog who has gotten into the Christmas ham.”

Ominis smirked but said nothing else as he crossed the still rather small and intimate space. He sat down and placed his wand on a small side table, indicating to her that he would not be utilizing his wand’s supplemental “visualization.”

Siobhan stepped behind the divider and began disrobing. She slid her skirt off, noting the soft sound it made as it puddled on the floor. She did not need to step out of her shoes, as she had not had a chance to put any shoes on before Marvolo snatched her. Her shirt joined her skirt on the floor a moment later before she began unlacing her corset. The thump it made on the floor was much louder and she flinched, wondering if Ominis could decipher what that sound meant.

Siobhan was suddenly aware that she was standing in what she assumed was Ominis’ home in only her undergarments, separated from him by really nothing but some standing panels of wood. Sebastian would have some choice words about this situation. We wouldn’t be in this situation if he hadn’t left, she thought bitterly before she caught and chided herself for such an uncharitable thought. She put everything but the scented oils that were permeating the air out of her mind and shucked her shift, knickers, and stockings, baring herself to the cottage air.

She dipped her finger in the steaming bath. It was just bordering on too hot to handle, hotter than most people would usually make a bath, but Siobhan, knowing how methodical Ominis was, could only assume he made it so intentionally. He knew she would want to scrub herself raw and remove any trace of his brother’s touch from her body. He had always been intuitive, and she thanked Merlin for that as she sank in and felt the heat sting her skin before she adjusted and let it settle into her bones.

She sank under the surface, wetting her hair, then leaned back against the lip of the tub with a contented sigh.

After she had settled in and started cleansing herself with the available soaps, Siobhan found that her mind had gotten too quiet. With nothing specific to occupy her mind, the memories started to bombard her. Every time she went over a place Marvolo had touched, she grimaced and scrubbed harder. After a few minutes of this, she was starting to work herself back into a panic.

Her spiral was interrupted when a bottle from the rack levitated over to the bath and refreshed the scented oils in the bath, smacking her out of her train of thought. Siobhan’s lip trembled. She decided she had benefited from this as much as she would be able to, and rose from the bath, snagging the towel and wrapping it around herself before stepping down onto the mat. When she was satisfied that she wouldn’t drip water all over Ominis’ floor, she padded over to the clothes he had set aside for her.

Siobhan noted that they were women’s clothes, and her stomach dropped. If Ominis had this ready, she could only assume he did not live here alone, at least not usually. She shut that line of thinking in a box with the rest of her unwanted thought processes for the night and donned the clothes. They were a little big for her, made for a woman much taller than she was, but she rolled the sleeves and the waist of the skirt.

Siobhan was about to grab her old clothes when they levitated over to an empty hamper. She peeked around the partition to see Ominis, still seated on the couch, lowering his wand and replacing it on the side table.

She couldn’t untangle how she felt about the fact that he had been able to hear her so well but supposed it couldn’t be avoided with how sharp his hearing was in this small space.

She walked over and sat in the armchair. “Thank you. I needed that.”

Ominis inclined his head towards her and nodded, retrieving his wand. “Of course. While I have never been exactly in your shoes, I am intimately familiar with my family’s penchant for cruelty and abuse. I know how it feels to want to feel… clean… new.” He sighed. “Do need any healing? I don't have a potions station, but I can get something tomorrow morning."

Siobhan put a finger to her split lip and winced. "I don't need any potions, but he took my wand. I don't suppose I could bother you for a quick Episkey?"

Ominis stood and crossed over to her slowly. "Of course! Show me where?"

She swallowed and reached out for his his hand, ignoring the little jolt that sang through her at the contact, and brought his fingers up to rest against her split lip. Ominis seemed to be holding his breath, and so was she. His finger felt around the wound gently. When he prodded the spreading bruise on her cheek, she hissed in pain, and his expression darkened with barely concealed anger. His jaw clenched. He raised his wand. "Episkey."

She sighed at the instant relief his small healing spell provided. She relaxed slightly, but Ominis paced away from her, clenching his hands into fists before slumping down onto the loveseat. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Siobhan… I can’t express to you how sorry I am that I was too late to protect you from Marvolo.”

She shifted in her seat. “There is no one to blame for that but him, Ominis.”

Ominis shook his head softly. He clearly did not agree with her but apparently decided not to press the issue. “I will send an owl to Sebastian. He is likely already in Australia, so it will take some time for word to reach him and for him to return. In the meantime, I insist you consider staying here. This home is warded heavily, and Marvolo is not aware of its existence as far as I know.”

Siobhan bit her lip and looked over to the one bed. “Would you be staying as well?”

Ominis paused thoughtfully. “I would feel better knowing you were safe, but I will leave it up to you.”

“Where would you sleep?” she asked.

Ominis seemed confused until the cause for her concern dawned on him. “Ah!” He stood up again and walked behind the loveseat, transfiguring the queen bed into two twins, separated by a thick curtain. “If that is acceptable for now? I can work on an extension charm to provide more complete privacy but in the meantime?”

Siobhan smiled weakly, feeling the strain of the day starting to pull her down with exhaustion. “That is wonderful. Thank you.”

Ominis nodded again.

“Ominis,” Siobhan probed anxiously. “Are you sure your sweetheart will be alright with you staying here with me?”

He turned to her with the most comically befuddled expression. “I beg your pardon?”

She cocked her head to the side, confused as to why he was confused. “Your sweetheart, the woman who left these clothes here that you lent to me.”

Ominis guffawed. “Oh, no, Siobhan. This cottage, and those clothes, belonged to my Aunt Noctua.”

Siobhan blushed, feeling rather silly for her assumption. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

Ominis walked closer. “No need to apologize. That is an easy assumption to make, and the onus is hardly on you for not being familiar with my personal life. Still, you are actually the first person I have brought here. I have kept Aunt Noctua’s gift rather private… as I am sure you understand, which is why I felt this would be the safest place for you. I might also ask the same question about Sebastian, knowing him, but for the moment I care rather more about ensuring your security than I do about his potential insecurities.”

Siobhan nodded dumbly. That was a lot to unpack. His acknowledgment of their distance, their former closeness, the danger she was undoubtedly still in, and how Sebastian would feel about this whole situation. There were so many more questions she wanted to ask him, but she supposed she would have nothing but time to confront him about, for example, why he abandoned their friendship four years ago.

What was important now was the safe, warm bed he was offering her. Siobhan stood and crossed the room to plop down on the bed closest to the wall, falling asleep almost instantly.

Chapter 4

When Siobhan stirred in the morning, it was infinitely more pleasant than her last awakening. She stretched, inhaling deeply the scent of bacon and eggs. When she rose, she realized a blanket had been placed over her at some point in the night, and a small dresser had been moved into her curtained space. Sliding the drawers open, she found more of Aunt Noctua’s clothes.

As she changed her clothes, Siobhan struggled to wrap her mind around the detailed care Ominis was showing her. He was going so far out of his way, anticipating not just her needs but her preferences. From what he said last night, he seemed to feel very guilty and to be putting blame on himself. She would have to have a serious conversation with him about how she did not need to be treated like a porcelain doll, certainly not because of any perceived accountability he seemed to suddenly feel for her.

Where was all of this attention and care for the last four years? she thought to herself.

She also told herself that she was not going to allow Marvolo’s despicable actions to define her. He did not get to affect her going forward. With that determination locked in the front of her mind, Siobhan drew back the curtain and was startled. She had assumed Ominis was cooking, but the sight that met her eyes threw her for a loop.

The morning sun was filtering through the open window, gently highlighting Ominis’ profile and showing off all of the newly defined angles of his face. His broader shoulders tapered down to his hips in a v-shape. He had always been slender, but now he was svelte. What threw her off more than anything was his clothing. Ominis at school was always fully buttoned up in his uniform suit. This Ominis was wearing a more casual off-white button-up, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his thicker forearms. His black slacks were secured with suspenders, and he was wearing soft house shoes rather than his usual Oxford formal shoes.

His hair was swept into its usual placement, but was not secured with any pomade, so tendrils of it were dangling in his clouded eyes while he leaned over the stove, waving his wand as he performed the charms to cook the simple breakfast. If she had been a poet, Siobhan imagined she would have needed to stop and write a sonnet about how idyllic he looked. She shook herself back to reality and quietly walked over to sit at the table. Ominis did not acknowledge her verbally but did offer her a tentative smile.

“Good morning,” she returned before sipping some tea from the cup he had set out for her. He remembered exactly how she took it. She sighed contentedly.

“Good morning.” Ominis then brought a plate over and placed it in front of her before grabbing his own and joining her. He took a deep breath. “I sent the owl to Sebastian after you went to sleep last night. I apologize for not waiting to consult you on its composition, but I assumed you would want it to arrive as soon as possible. It should arrive sometime tomorrow. Then, it will depend on the method of his return, but I don’t imagine you will have to be stuck here for long. When Sebastian returns, we will determine next steps on how to deal with Marvolo and keep you safe.”

Siobhan just nodded. She picked up a piece of bacon but dropped it when a thought struck her. “Wait a minute! How did you know that Sebastian is in Australia? How did you even know we are a couple?”

Ominis flinched and rubbed his hands on his pants. “Are you so surprised that I would keep some tabs on the two of you?”

Siobhan scoffed. “Um… yes, actually. The whole vanishing without a word did give the impression that you no longer cared to associate with us.”

He hung his head slightly. “This feels about as awkward as I had imagined it would. Siobhan, please understand that my leaving was not an indication of any diminishment of friendship I felt for you or Sebastian. It was… a family matter.”

She narrowed her eyes. “And I suppose a letter with any amount of explanation any time over the past four years was simply impossible.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me or to understand, as I am not giving you much information, but please believe me that you... both of you... have never stopped being important to me.” Ominis raised his head, his unseeing eyes landing on hers while he tried to convey his sincerity.

“Where did you go, Ominis?” Siobhan whispered, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“Durmstrang. My father… insisted that the environment at Hogwarts was no longer conducive to educating a proper son of a pureblood family.”

Siobhan winced, aware of the school’s sinister reputation. She understood the appeal that Corvinus Gaunt would have seen. A school that still refused admittance to muggle-borns and taught Unforgivable Curses as a standard part of the curriculum. She remembered something from yesterday.

“Ominis… you… when you stopped Marvolo…” Siobhan wasn’t sure how to broach this topic with him.

“I cast the Imperius Curse… yes.” Ominis’ face became pinched. “I am aware of how little that coincides with the Ominis you knew at Hogwarts, but I will admit that it was not my first time doing so. I am not the same person I was four years ago. I am sorry that disappoints you so.” He stood and began pacing. Red was tinging his cheeks and ears. He was ashamed.

She stood as well and approached him slowly. He stopped pacing when she placed a hand on his forearm. “Ominis,” she looked up at him when he tilted his head down to her. “You shouldn’t put words in my mouth. I never said I was disappointed in you. I am, honestly, grateful to you. Regardless of how... you saved me.”

“Not soon enough, and I used to hold to the principle that the how did in fact matter.”

Siobhan pulled Ominis into a hug, for the first time in such a long time. It felt different to hug him now, but still familiar. “I am sorry for whatever you have been through since you left. Whatever made you change your principles could not have been easy to bear.”

Ominis was stiff in her arms at first but did relax and return the embrace. “Thank you, Siobhan. You have always given people more grace than they deserve, but thank you. Please believe me that I would not have left if I had a better choice.”

Siobhan nodded, sniffling. It brought such warmth to her heart to be near him again, to be talking to him. He was so clearly different, but she found herself wanting to get to know the new him. It was like meeting her friend all over again.

She stepped out of his embrace and returned to the table. She thought she felt his fingers lingering on her arm, trailing lightly as she stepped away, but when she looked back, his arms were by his side, and he was returning to his own seat.

She tucked her loose hair behind her ears and dug into the now lukewarm food.

Ominis cleared his throat after a few minutes of silent eating. “So, do you know how Sebastian might travel? I want to pop out for supplies and would like to have a decent estimation of how much we will need.”

Siobhan shook her head. “It could be tomorrow. He portkeyed there. If he is able to secure one back, I would expect him to be back rather quickly. However, if he has to use the floo network, it could be a day or so, by broom a little longer.”

She set down her fork and stared at her plate. “Still…” she did not finish the thought.

Ominis waited for a moment before prompting her to continue.

“It was an unkind thought. I should keep it to myself,” Siobhan insisted.

Ominis tilted his head and peered at her through the corner of his eye, a familiar expression of his that put her at ease and loosened her lips. “I just… there is also the possibility that he does not rush back here.”

He looked taken aback. “Why would Sebastian not come home?”

Siobhan sighed. “He takes these artifact hunts very seriously. He is usually gone for weeks to months at a time. He has been becoming increasingly obsessive with them. I am not saying he won’t come home, but also that I would not be shocked if he chose to stay. After all, I am not in immediate danger. He may decide it is worthwhile to finish his hunt before returning.”

Ominis grimaced. “That is a disturbing line of logic, Siobhan. If that were true, I can’t see how he would justify that. There is no one attacking us at this moment, but anyone who knows my brother knows that he is not one to lightly abandon a course of action he has decided upon. I believe he would still harm you if given the opportunity. I told Sebastian as much in my letter.”

Siobhan shifted in her seat. “You’re probably right.”

Ominis sighed. “And yet I have a sneaking suspicion that you still doubt. What aren’t you telling me?”

Siobhan bit her lip. “… I think Sebastian is hunting for a cure again.”

Ominis carefully placed his strip of bacon back on his plate and turned his body towards her fully. “What makes you think that?”

“Ever since he started doing these Curse-Breaker jobs, he’s become so much more distant. It has been over a year. Every hunt is longer and more urgent than the last, and I never know how long he will be gone. He refuses to tell me details about what he finds. He’s become incredibly obsessed and secretive. Sound familiar?”

Ominis rubbed his eyes. “Yes, that does sound like Sebastian in fifth year.”

“That is exactly it!” she exclaimed. “More than that, I am now worried Sebastian has somehow run afoul of your brother, which would make sense if he was getting involved in Dark Magic artifacts.”

Ominis furrowed his brow. “I am afraid I don’t understand.”

Siobhan took a deep breath. “When he… attacked me, Marvolo kept talking about teaching someone a lesson, saying I would be wasted on him.  That sounds to me like Sebastian got involved with him somehow and it went awry. He attacked me almost immediately after Sebastian left. That can’t be a coincidence.”

“That you would be wasted on… him…” Ominis muttered, clenching his fists. “I am sure Sebastian is not so reckless as to attempt to do business with Marvolo. Please understand, Siobhan, while the effects of my family’s inbreeding had an easily noticed impact on me, with my lack of sight, Marvolo is no less a product of it. His mind has never been entirely whole. I urge you to not put too much credence into his words. He would have a similar inclination to vile retribution if Sebastian passed him on the street and did not give him what he considered to be the proper deference.”

Siobhan swallowed the last of her eggs, forcing herself to eat despite the effect this conversation was having on her appetite. “I hope you’re right. I just can’t shake the feeling that Sebastian is going back on his word again, getting involved in the dark arts.”

“And have you tried to talk to him about this unease? He loves you. If it has gotten to the point where you doubt if he would choose to ensure your safety from a psychopath over one of these hunts, it sounds like you and he need to have a fully honest conversation. This is Sebastian. He has always had a one-track mind and can ignore the peripherals, but it does not mean he does not care. He just gets his priorities out of alignment,” Ominis reasoned.

Siobhan nodded, partially reassured. “I hope you’re right,” she repeated.

Ominis leaned back in his chair, fishing for the piece of bacon he dropped. He bit into it and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments. “If it gives you peace of mind, I will send another owl if he has not returned by the day after tomorrow.

“Thank you, Ominis.”

 

---

 

Over the next two days, she and Ominis established a companionable routine. They ate together, read books from his Aunt Noctua’s small collection, reminisced about their days at Hogwarts, and he asked her about her career, eagerly absorbing her stories of the work she had done to push for increased protection for magical creatures, but refused to talk about his own life. While that frustrated her, she found herself laughing more than she had in months. His quick wit and dry sense of humor had not diminished with the years. She would have called this the most pleasant prison she could have been sequestered in.

All the time, Siobhan tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut. She was truly enjoying getting to be close to Ominis again, but she hated how much he was holding back from her. She also was driving herself mad waiting for Sebastian to burst through the door and sweep her away. She was looking forward to that because it would mean she could stop hiding from Marvolo like prey in a burrow. Despite sending a letter to her supervisor to request emergency leave, she knew that his patience had limits and did not want to press her luck. She needed Sebastian to return quickly, but she dreaded it at the same time because it meant an end to this time with Ominis.

She worried that, once he had completed his perceived duty in Sebastian’s absence, he would vanish again, and she would still not be given any closure as to why he left in the first place.

Towards the end of the second day, while Siobhan was watching the clock tick towards the earliest they had estimated Sebastian could arrive, she got an idea. She was determined not to let this end without getting some answers.

Chapter 5

Notes:

This chapter is a little longer. We are getting into the meat and potatoes of the story. Thanks to everyone who has left kudos so far! They are a great encouragement!

“I want to go out tonight,” Siobhan declared imperiously. Ominis scoffed and turned his head towards her with an incredulous expression. He closed his book and, with an exaggerated motion, dropped it on the coffee table.

“Go out… shall I package you and tie you up with a nice pretty bow before I deliver you to Marvolo?” he snapped.

He meant it derisively, but the image of Ominis restraining her flashed in her mind. She shook the intrusive thought away but could not as easily dissipate the heat that rushed to her cheeks.

“I am going stir crazy, Ominis!” she protested.

“Ah, well I am glad to hear my company is so unstimulating that you would rather risk abduction. Need I remind you that you do not have a wand?” he countered.

Siobhan frowned. “Believe me, you don’t.” She smirked, fully intending to get her way, even if that meant prodding at his ego. “Are you saying you are not able to protect me?”

Ominis rolled his cloudy eyes, not rising to her obvious jab. “I think we have established the lengths I would go to in order to protect you, but just because I am willing does not mean I will succeed.”

Siobhan rose from the armchair and joined him on the loveseat. He sat up straighter and shifted away from her. “Ominis, please! You haven’t even told me where we are. I imagine it is somewhere remote, but there has to be a pub nearby. How would he even find us?”

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Yes, we are relatively remote, but is it worth the risk?”

“Isn’t that my decision? Am I being protected or imprisoned?”

Ominis pressed his full lips into a thin line and glared in her general direction but seemed unable to find any more words to argue with her. He sagged. “We are in Keenbridge. It’s not like we are in my family’s backyard, but we aren’t in the middle of nowhere either.”

Siobhan shot up. “Oh, Ominis! I have been missing Scotland so much. I cannot miss this chance to enjoy it, to breathe the clean air again!” She jumped up and down, giddy with excitement like a young girl, grabbing Ominis’ hand and shaking it up and down with her.

Despite his determination to remain stern, an adoring smile broke out on his face at her antics. “Fine! We can pop out for one pint of butterbeer. Then, we are coming straight back here if I have to throw you over my shoulder and drag you back!”

Siobhan giggled and threw her arms around Ominis, not considering that with him still sitting, she really just buried his face in her bosom. He went rigid in her arms, and she quickly released him. She noted the way his mouth opened and closed a couple of times without words, as well as the pink that tinged his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He coughed to clear his throat. “Right, very good. Well, we are losing the light, so we should leave soon.”

Siobhan looked down at her clothes and nodded, deciding to change into something more appropriate for venturing outside. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

She hustled over to the small hallway where Ominis had charmed a small room for her on their first morning after breakfast. It was not much larger than her curtained space had been, but it at least had a door and walls. She found herself rifling through the drawers, casting aside garment after garment. She had no idea what she was looking for until she found it, a velvet, emerald green ensemble that would be perfect for the late fall evening air. She ran her fingers over the fabric, noting the pleasant texture against her fingertips.

She undressed to her chemise and corset, relacing it to a less comfortable tightness and accentuating her waist. Then, she threw on the garment. This one was larger than the casual clothes, the skirt pooling on the floor. Perhaps Aunt Noctua wore this with heels, but Siobhan only had the casual shoes Ominis had procured for her on his speedy supply run the other day. If she only had her wand, she could transfigure it…

Siobhan bunched the skirt in her hand and carefully exited the room. “Ominis?” she called out tentatively. She found him lounging on the loveseat. He had changed also, far more effectively than she had. The clothes were no doubt his own, as they were tailored perfectly to his lithe frame. Ominis was wearing a dark grey suit with emerald accents, a paisley tie and socks. She had to admit he looked very debonair. She smiled when she noticed he had even pomaded his hair again. “Could you give me a hand?” she asked.

Ominis sat up uneasily. “With dressing?” There was that shade of pink on his cheeks again.

Siobhan laughed. “I’m already dressed, silly man. Well, mostly. You see, your aunt was much taller than I am, so I am having a little trouble with the fit. Could you transfigure these to fit me a little better?”

Ominis stood and rounded the loveseat. “Of course, happy to help.” He halted near her. “I’ll have to… determine the fit if you don’t mind. I’m not exactly an experienced tailor,” he added wryly.

Siobhan nodded and murmured her assent. Ominis’ wand pulsed with its red light, allowing him to gain a sense of his surroundings usually, but it was now focused on her. The warm glow bathed her as he glided his wand around her, giving himself a clear picture of her body shape. It was rather… intimate, especially when Ominis brought his free hand to the loose fabric and hummed appreciatively at the texture. Siobhan felt her body heating up and her heart rate accelerating. The whole process was only a few moments, but she suddenly regretted the choice of velvet and felt uncomfortably warm.

“Diminuendo,” Ominis cast. Siobhan gasped as the garment suddenly tailored itself to her body like a glove. She was then unable to exhale when she felt Ominis’ hand run over her waist, feeling to confirm it had contoured itself to her properly. His hand resting on the curve between her waist and hip drove all other thoughts from her mind. All she could focus on was that one point of contact. “Perfect,” he muttered.

Siobhan cleared her throat as her face flushed. “Um, yes, it fits much better now, thank you.”

Ominis recoiled, her voice seeming to pull him out of his own thoughts. He hastened to open the door, allowing the chilly air to blow inside of the home. It centered Siobhan and reminded her of what she had orchestrated this outing for. Answers.

They walked in silence, Ominis escorting her on his arm. It took only a few minutes to reach the pub. The sight greeted her like an old friend. Siobhan remembered many evenings spent here, sometimes alone, sometimes with Sebastian on their way back from Feldcroft, always exhausted after a long day of traveling. This place was a salve to her soul. It made her feel so at ease, but she reminded herself to keep an eye out for anyone who seemed suspicious.

She and Ominis found a seat at a small table outside of the pub, next to the outdoor bar. Siobhan noticed lively music was playing and looked over her shoulder to see Ernie Lark enthusiastically filling the air with his collection of instruments on the small stage at the other end of the space. She smiled and turned to Ominis, who was flagging down a server. The middle-aged woman approached them with a warm smile of her own, along with a nameplate that read Betty.

“Good evenin', dears! Don’t you both look darlin’, all matchin’! Are you celebratin’ a special occasion? Anniversary, perhaps?” she asked.

Ominis flushed and stuttered. Siobhan wanted to tease him but decided to have mercy on him instead. “Thank you, ma’am! Funnily enough, we coordinated by accident. We are just friends.”

She joined Ominis in blushing. “Oh, heavens. Look at me, makin’ assumptions and puttin’ my foot in my mouth!”

“Oh, don’t worry!” Siobhan reassured. “No offense taken! Just trade us some of your butterbeer for some of our sickles, and we will call it even, Betty!”

Betty chuckled and nodded her head, scurrying off to fetch their drinks. As soon as she left, Ominis leaned across the table and whispered, “We match?”

Siobhan giggled. “Well, sort of. Your suit is grey but pretty much everything else is the same green as my dress. Shouldn’t be surprising since I am literally wearing Gaunt clothes.”

Ominis’ blush deepened.

“Oh, don’t fret, Ominis. It’s not like one of us is going to go home and change!” she quipped.

He rubbed his eyes. She noticed he had done that a lot lately. Betty returned with their butterbeer, “and some chips for my little faux pas,” she added. They both thanked her and dug in. Siobhan sucked her butterbeer rather quickly and was about to seek Betty out again when a voice called out from behind her, “Is that the Hero of Hogwarts?”

She whirled around to see Fatimah Lawang, the local potioneer, approaching. “It is. Haven’t seen you around for a few years. What brings you to Keenbridge?”

Before Siobhan could provide a vague answer, the older woman shifted her gaze to Ominis. “You.” She pointed at him. “I have seen you around.”

“Ms. Lawang,” Ominis greeted her. “I have not seen you around.”

Siobhan bit her lip to stifle a giggle. Fatimah did not bother, letting out a brief bark of a laugh. Siobhan was surprised. The stoic businesswoman never struck her as one prone to humor, but she supposed she might just enjoy Ominis’ particular brand of it.

“You two enjoy yourselves, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to give my regards.” Fatimah looked up from them and waved Betty over. “A bottle of firewhiskey for them, on me.”

“Oh, Ms. Lawang, that is very generous, but we couldn’t possibly—” Siobhan started to protest.

“Fatimah. You’re a grown woman yourself now. You needn’t call me Ms. Anything, either of you. And I insist. You saved the whole valley from the likes of Ranrok and Victor Rookwood. With the peace have come more travelers, which has been great for business. One measly bottle is the least I can do. I can’t pour it down your throat, but the bottle is coming over. Enjoy it if you want.” With that, the potioneer turned around and rejoined her party across the square.

Siobhan looked back to Ominis and burst out laughing. “Will your blind jokes ever get old?”

Ominis gave a small grin. “I like to think I make them sparingly enough that they retain their impact.”

Siobhan nodded and thanked Betty as she dropped off the bottle and some small glasses. She started to uncork it when Ominis placed his hand over hers. “Are you sure that is wise, Siobhan?”

She smacked his hand with her free one. He jerked it back, affronted, his mouth agape. She broke into a fit of laughter all over again but pointedly poured her own glass before placing the bottle next to Ominis’ empty one. He sighed in defeat when he heard her gulp it down and poured his own.

“Fine, you obstinate woman, but we are getting more substantial food in our bellies than chips. And we will not drink the whole bottle,” he insisted.

Siobhan tried to school her face as the firewhiskey burned her throat. “Mmm, yes, sir!” she giggled. Ominis rolled his milky eyes. “Merlin, help me,” he groaned.

 

---

 

By the time Siobhan and Ominis finished their shepherd’s pies and made a more significant dent in the bottle, the sun had long since set, and she no longer regretted the velvet dress. It was doing marvels to keep her body perfectly comfortable, aided by the warming charms around the dining area.

“So, Hero of Hogwarts,” Ominis jabbed a finger at her, clearly feeling the effects of the firewhiskey almost as much as she was. “How often do you get fawned over in London?”

Siobhan took another sip and grimaced. “Honestly, not that often. I’d say it has been several months since the last person who recognized me or at least commented on it.”

Ominis hummed. “Interesting. Perhaps that would be more common here. You stand out more with fewer people, and you’ve personally saved the lives or livelihoods of most everyone in the valley with your incessant do-gooderness.”

She snickered. “Is that a word, Ominis?”

He huffed. “If it isn’t, they should make it one, just for you! You never knew how to look after yourself first, always rushing off to save complete strangers.”

“Well, who are you to talk? You’re flirting with becoming a hero now, saving me all heroically,” she retorted.

Ominis put down his glass. “Well, as I said, you always put everyone else before yourself. Someone ought to look after you for a change. You even would have taken on bloody Ranrok and his horde of goblins by yourself if Professor Fig would have let you.”

Siobhan shifted in her chair. His reminder of that experience brought up many unpleasant memories. The fear of facing Ranrok, Professor Fig’s death, the unbelievable effort it took to seal that much malignant ancient magic, and the toll it had taken on her. For whatever reason, she had not been able to tap into her ancient magic since that day. Not that she'd had much need for it since. Most conflicts in the past couple of years had been small potatoes in comparison to what she faced during her fifth year. She had long since stopped trying to reach it.

Ominis noticed her unease after she gave him no response. “I’m sorry for bringing that up. I know it was a very difficult time for you. I just hope that you are more willing to seek or at least accept help from those who care for you.”

Siobhan smiled at him. While Ominis did not seem significantly impaired, she could tell the firewhiskey had done a tremendous job of loosening his usual posh demeanor. She had just opened her mouth to probe him for more information on his disappearance when she noticed Ernie Lark approaching with a wide grin. Ah, another old friend coming to pay their respects. She smiled at him, and he gave her a brief nod and hello before turning. “Well, good evening, Mr. Gaunt! What a pleasure to see you in these parts again!”

Siobhan’s mouth quirked up in pleasant surprise. “You two know each other?”

Ominis smiled sheepishly while Ernie carried on. “Why yes, indeed! Mr. Gaunt here has been a staunch patron of my work, much as you yourself were in years past. And he has been a pleasant performance partner on occasion!”

Siobhan gasped. “Ominis! You never told me you play music!”

Again, Ernie answered for the increasingly embarrassed Ominis. “Mr. Gaunt is one of the finest violinists and vocalists I have had the pleasure of sharing a stage with!”

Ernie’s enthusiasm was becoming infectious. Siobhan leaned forward in her seat. “News to me! Ominis, have you been keeping some talents under your sleeves?”

Ominis was beet red at this point, and Siobhan couldn’t help but laugh. She loved how easily flustered he was. He muttered, “Yes, well… you are surprised that the son of a prominent pureblood family received a well-rounded education?”

“Surely, I can coerce you to join me tonight?” Ernie needled hopefully. Ominis started to shake his head, but Siobhan jumped up.

“You are not going to have kept this from me since the day we met and deny me the chance to see you now, are you?” she asked. Ominis looked reluctant still. She skirted around the table and dragged him out of his chair by his elbow. Once he was up, she gently prodded him over to the visibly excited busker.

Now that she was standing, the amount of firewhiskey she had consumed reminded her of its presence in her bloodstream, igniting in her a desire to spin and dance.

When Ominis and Ernie had crossed over to the short stage, Ominis removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Siobhan watched him closely, eyeing the exposed forearms that flexed as they took the violin from Ernie and raised it to rest under his chin. He seemed to handle it without hesitation, and a small smile emerged when his fingers made contact with the smooth wood.

He held the bow ready and waited for Ernie to begin. As the busker stepped out in front of the rest of his instruments, the patrons gathered in the outdoor seating area shifted their attention over to them. Ernie counted them off and launched into a bouncy jig. Ominis listened for a moment and then began drawing the bow over the strings. He wove into the music. His eyes closed in deep concentration, and his body moved and swayed in time. Siobhan found herself grinning from ear to ear and tapping her foot along.

To her delight, it appeared she was not the only person inspired to move. Several people moved over to the cobbled space next to the outdoor seating area and the main pub, setting up an impromptu dance floor. Siobhan giddily joined them, falling into the folk dance. She moved down the line, through the steps, and reveled in the feeling of spinning, jumping, and letting herself feel free for the first time in a long time.

Through it all, her eyes kept returning to Ominis. She noticed his small smile had widened significantly. She peered closer and saw his head following her through the crowd. A red pulse caught her eye, and she realized he was still loosely holding his wand in his right hand, clutched between his grip on the bow. Is he watching me dance? she wondered.

This made her feel lightheaded. She found herself throwing some extra vim into her movements, laughing when she almost collided with another smiling young witch. They joined hands and twirled together before spinning off to the next person in the line. By the time Ernie and Ominis had played a few songs, Siobhan was breathless. The crisp evening air did its best to cool her down, but she needed a rest. She bowed away from the crowd and returned to her seat.

Betty, she assumed, had placed a glass bottle of clear liquid on their table. She opened it and sniffed. It seemed like water. She brought the bottle directly to her lips and took a sip. It was indeed water, and she started gulping it down.

When she took it away from her lips to breathe deeply, she looked back at Ominis and Ernie to see Ominis shaking his head and Ernie clearly begging him for something. She watched them, curious until she saw Ominis sigh heavily and place the violin to the side. He is done, it seems, she thought, only to be further surprised when he stepped to the center of the stage and loosened his tie.

He inclined his head towards her, frozen and standing next to their table, and he flushed for what must have been the fifteenth time that night. She saw his jaw clench, the defined frame of his face highlighted by the flickering light of the lamps and candles. She could not identify the expression on his face.

Ernie launched his instruments, now including the violin and leaving out his accordion and horn, into a much different tempo. This song was somber, a folk ballad, and when Ominis breathed deeply and opened his lips, Siobhan’s heart stopped. His rich tenor singing voice floated above the music and the crowd, settling over her and entrancing her more surely than any spell.

These arms of mine, they are lonely
Lonely and feelin’ blue

These arms of mine, they are yearnin’
Yearnin’ from wantin’ you

 

While he looked tentative to start, after the first few lines, Ominis sank into the melody, swaying and singing with feeling, unleashing more emotion than she had ever seen in conversation with him. His hair fell in his eyes, and he didn’t bother to push it away. He was engrossed, and he pulled everyone else in with him as the pub fell silent.

And if you… would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be

These arms of mine, they are burnin’
Burnin’ from wantin’ you

 

Speaking of burning, Siobhan felt herself heating up. She was no stranger to this feeling and could identify it. She would be lying to herself if she didn’t acknowledge that she found Ominis, and the devotion he was singing about to this woman out of his reach, very attractive. She had always found him handsome, but she had never seen him display this kind of romantic passion for anyone. Was he just singing a song, or was he pulling these emotions from a real place? Did he have someone special to him?

She would probably be the last person to know. Barring anyone he may have met since leaving Hogwarts, she had always assumed he held a special place in his heart for Anne Sallow. He spoke of her so tenderly. Though, he did not display the kind of emotion he was showing now. He may have been inclined to keep those cards close to his chest around Sebastian.

Thinking about it now, it would make sense. She was his best friend’s twin sister, cursed cruelly at a young age, left bedridden, and then disappeared after the Catacomb. If there was anyone in Ominis’ life to elicit such melancholy, Anne would fit the bill.

These arms of mine, they are wantin’
Wantin’ to hold you

And if you would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be

 

His voice was so powerful, so forlorn and full of longing, the subtle vibrato resonating through her. His heart was on full display, how badly he wished they could be together.

 

Come on… come on, baby
Just be my little woman
Just be my lover, oh

I need me somebody… somebody to treat me right, oh
I need your arms… loving arms to hold me tight

And I… I… I need… I need your… I need your tender lips… to hold… hold me…

To hold me together when I’m around you.

 

The song faded, and Ominis’ voice faded with it. He seemed to come back to reality when the small crowd began applauding him. His eyes immediately landed on her, and he stumbled backward for a moment before pulling himself together and stepping down from the small stage. He slowly crossed over to her, ducking his head and muttering thanks to the compliments folks called to him.

When he stopped in front of her, his brow furrowed, and he brought his hand to her cheek. “Siobhan, you’re crying,” he stated softly as he wiped her cheek with his thumb.

She stared at him dumbly. She had been in a daze since he started singing. She hadn't even realized her eyes were overflowing, but his gentle touch prompted her to pull him into an embrace and bury her face in his chest. He was surprised at first but allowed her to hold him and wrapped his arms around her in turn.

“I’m sorry, Ominis. You must love her very much,” she ventured as she pulled away from him.

He looked confused for a moment, then his face fell. He took a deep breath and just said, “I do… thank you.”

She gave him a weak smile before clearing her throat. “Do you… want to talk about her?”

Ominis looked pensively at her. He then shook his head. “I do not think it would make much difference, but I appreciate you offering to listen.”

She smiled softly and just embraced him again. She knew she wasn’t the one he was longing to hold, but perhaps she could comfort him if only slightly. She hated seeing him in pain. As Ernie struck up another soft instrumental song, Siobhan swayed with the music, pulling Ominis back and forth with her.

“What are you doing, Siobhan?” Ominis asked.

She chuckled. “I believe this is sometimes called dancing.”

He chuckled back, the sound rumbling through his chest and against her cheek. “I certainly wouldn’t go that far.”

“Is that right?”

“This is swaying. This,” Ominis pulled away from her, grasping her hands and walking backward into the square. “This is dancing.” He rested a hand on her waist and led her through the slow steps.

Siobhan battled with herself. She felt so warm, so safe, so happy, being in this moment with Ominis. His touch was comforting and exciting, and she was fighting the urge to touch him more. She imagined removing his loose tie, unbuttoning his shirt… She had to stop it. She reminded herself of Sebastian. Surely, he was on his way back to her. And Ominis was clearly in love with someone too.

It's just because he saved you, and you’ve been stuck in a house with him for days. The trauma and forced proximity are playing tricks on you. And you’re drunk. You love Sebastian.

She inhaled deeply, trying to clear her mind, but only flooded her senses with the scent of Ominis, citrus and bergamot. She groaned and then gasped when he clutched her tighter by her waist and brought his other hand to her face. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” he asked.

Even with his brow furrowed and his lips pulled down in a frown, he was so handsome. Siobhan’s head was swimming, drunk on the alcohol and Ominis himself. Her hands started to wander of their own accord, sliding up his chest. It made him shiver, and that thrilled her.

“Siobhan, what are you doing?” His hand slid from her cheek to the side of her neck, where he could no doubt feel her racing pulse. They had stopped dancing and were just standing in the square, bodies far closer than was proper.

“I—I don’t know… Ominis,” she sighed, unable to hide in her voice how affected she was.

His face darkened, and his hand slid up to cup the back of her head. “Don’t,” he breathed, barely moving his lips.

“Don’t what?” Siobhan asked as she pressed her fingers against the fabric of his shirt, marveling at how solid his chest felt.

He groaned and his fingers tangled in the hair at the base of her neck. “Don’t say my name like that.”

She whimpered. There was no denying it; Siobhan was thoroughly excited by Ominis, and she was clearly having an effect on him too. They were teetering on the edge of self-control. She wanted to press herself even closer to him, desperate to feel his body against hers. “Ominis—” she sighed again, and suddenly she was cold. Ominis had ripped himself away from her and retreated to their table. After a moment, she followed him unsteadily. He took a deep drag from the water bottle and then held it out to her.

“You’re drunk, Siobhan. Hydrate,” he instructed. His face was placid. He had clearly regained control of himself, but Siobhan was still on fire. It was mixed with embarrassment now. What must he think of her? She did as he suggested and drank more water. By the time she emptied the bottle, Ominis had tossed some sickles and a galleon on the table, more than enough to cover their food and butterbeer.

Her face fell. He wanted to leave. Had she made him uncomfortable? Probably. He poured his heart out about some long-lost love, and she took that as a cue to start falling all over him? She felt awful. He probably judged her, and she deserved it. As bad as she felt about it, she was drawn to him. He had been important to her as a friend when they were younger, but he had always been so reserved. She could feel the way he kept her at arm's length and never truly let her in. And most of their conversations then revolved around Sebastian.

Spending so much time with just the two of them in the past couple of days, he was more open with her. She felt that she knew him better now than she had at Hogwarts, and she liked what she saw. She knew there was still some of his history he wasn't sharing with her, but she wanted to dive in and know every facet of his soul, even though she knew she shouldn't and most definitely wouldn't.

Without another word, he took off toward the cottage at the edge of the hamlet. She stumbled behind him, on the verge of tears. She was conflicted. Once the houses started to thin out, he stopped and turned back to her. She halted and watched him work through something on his face. He took a deep breath and held his crooked arm out to her. She smiled shakily but hooked her arm through his, accepting his polite gesture.

“Always a gentleman,” she quipped, trying to ease the tension.

Ominis flinched. Siobhan bit her lip. She felt so guilty. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He looked confused. “What are you sorry for?” he asked as they neared the cottage.

They were now equally confused. “If—I mean, I obviously made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry for being so—” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

Ominis stopped at the gate and turned to her. He sighed and clasped her hand. “Siobhan, you did not make me uncomfortable. I just—”

“Sorry to break up the honeymoon,” a deep, velvety voice spoke from the road behind them.

The two of them jumped and whirled around. Ominis stepped in front of her and whipped his wand up defensively.

Siobhan gasped. “Sebastian.”

Notes:

Lyrical credit for the song is "These Arms of Mine" by Otis Redding (1964). I imagined it here performed as less Southern Soul and more folk music.

Chapter 6

Notes:

CW: Referenced SA

Siobhan darted around Ominis and ran to Sebastian. She was definitely not imagining it this time that Ominis’ fingertips lingered on her arm as she pulled away, and she saw Sebastian watch the movement with a dangerous look in his eye. As soon as she neared him, Sebastian dragged her into his arms and crushed his lips to hers. Siobhan was taken aback and gasped. Sebastian took advantage of her surprise and snogged her like he had been away for months rather than days. She noticed he was sweating profusely as if he had just finished a six-hour quidditch match.

She opened her eyes and saw Sebastian’s eyes open as well, fixed on Ominis. This irked her, and she pushed Sebastian gently away from her, breathing heavily. He loosened his hold on her but did not let go. She followed his gaze to Ominis, who was clenching his jaw tight enough that it looked ready to crack and still held his wand in a white-knuckled grip.

Siobhan cleared her throat, hoping to ease this strange tension. “Sebastian, they authorized a portkey for you!”

This broke his intense glare from Ominis, and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “No.”

Siobhan was confused. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I apparated, of course,” he said like it was the most obvious answer.

Ominis scoffed. “You apparated from Australia?!”

“Of course,” he answered.

“How are you not splinched to death?” Siobhan asked.

Sebastian tilted his head to look down at her properly. “Give me some credit, love. I’m not stupid enough to try it all in one go. I’ve been all over for my hunts, just took quite a few leaps. Took some rests in Lucknow and Istanbul, last little breather in Calais. I had to get back here as soon as possible, clearly.” He turned his gaze once more to Ominis.

Siobhan pulled on his cheek. “That’s still an unheard-of amount of apparation. Are you alright?” Looking at him more closely in the dim light, he looked exhausted, and the reckless apparition marathon would explain the sweat. Sebastian just shrugged and said, “Never better, just glad I got back.”

Siobhan smiled. She felt guilty for having doubted Sebastian’s devotion to her. Attempting to cross half the world with apparation was tantamount to suicide, and he dropped his hunt and risked it just because she was in danger. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, not caring a lick about his perspiration getting on her lovely dress. “Oh, Sebastian,” she mumbled into his neck, feeling so much lighter now that she could let go of the weight of her doubts.

“I don’t know what else I was supposed to do. I get a letter from this prat saying that he’s absconded with my girl to his little hideaway in the Highlands; you’re mental if you think I was going to let that stand,” he continued. Siobhan’s lightness was immediately crushed. He didn’t come back because of Marvolo? He only came back because I was here with Ominis? she thought numbly. Her arms loosened around him, and she pulled out of his.

“You only came back because of him? Ominis saved me. You don’t care about what that… what he…” she couldn’t finish the sentence. She was getting overwhelmed.

Sebastian scowled at her. “Oh, trust me. I’m going to put Marvolo in the bloody ground. But don’t pretend for one second to be naïve enough to think this git isn’t using this to his advantage.”

Siobhan gritted her teeth. “What are you talking about?!”

“I’m talking about me risking my neck to get back here just in time to find him panting after you in the middle of the bloody square! To see you all tarted up in fancy clothes he clearly gave you!” Sebastian exploded, shouting at Siobhan.

Ominis stepped forward. “Sebastian, you need to—”

Sebastian stepped around Siobhan, going nose to nose with Ominis who did not flinch away from him when he interrupted even more aggressively. “You! You promised to stay away from her! You told me you wouldn’t go anywhere near her!”

“And you promised to look after her! To take care of her!" Ominis shouted back.

Siobhan stared in shock. This didn’t seem like the first time they had seen each other in four years.

“I have been taking care of her for years, not that it’s any of your business, Gaunt!”

Ominis snarled and pressed forward. “Then explain to me why I had to find her weeping in binds as I pulled my brother from on top of her!"

Siobhan crumpled. The way he so bluntly said that was surely meant to be a dig at Sebastian, but it felt like a knife to her heart and triggered all of her horrible memories to break out of the box she had been keeping them in and start replaying in her mind. She sank back to the ground, feeling like she just wanted to disappear, a second before Sebastian roared in rage and swung his fist wildly forward. It connected with Ominis’ jaw and sent him falling onto his back.

Siobhan gasped and lunged forward, but Sebastian had already whirled around to grab her upper arm and yank her to her feet. Her eyes connected with Ominis’ for only a moment before she felt the tugging in her gut of apparation. She screamed, reacting instinctively to the fear of being side-long apparated by someone she knew was exhausted and angry. It was a textbook recipe for splinching.

To her surprise, she landed safely back in their flat. Not to her surprise, she heard Sebastian let out a string of curses. Looking down, even in the dim light from the moon coming through the windows, she could see the long gash that had opened in his leg. He plopped down on the dining room chair and groaned. Blood was already soaking through his trousers.

Siobhan panicked. “Sebastian, I don’t have my wand. Give me yours!”

He shook his head, pulled his wand out with a wince, and cast a healing spell over his wound. “Vulnera Sanentur.”  The tissue did start to knit back together, albeit roughly. He hissed as the blood retracted back into his body. Siobhan sagged into the chair across from him. He shifted, wincing from the shoddy healing. It worked in a pinch like this, but he was no skilled healer.

“You should go to St. Mungos and get that taken care of properly,” she said softly.

“As if I would leave you unsupervised,” he spat.

“Excuse me?” she snapped.

“Ominis is blind, Siobhan. I’m not. You were swooning for him.” The accusing glare in Sebastian’s eyes cut right through her, and she knew she had no leg to stand on to be indignant. She sank back in her chair and sighed.

“Yes, I thought if I got Ominis drunk I could get him to tell me why he disappeared without a word, why we haven’t heard from him once in the four years he was gone. I did not go to the pub intending anything other than that. But I got caught up in the moment. I was drunk and emotionally vulnerable because I honestly wasn’t sure if you would come back. I’m sorry, and I am sorry that you had to see it, especially after what you did to get back. But it was just a moment of attraction, and nothing happened between us while you were gone, I swear.” The remaining alcohol in her system may have helped loosen her tongue. She couldn’t stop her words from flooding out of her. Even if it was unpleasant for Sebastian to hear, she decided he deserved the full truth.

His expression did not change. “Why did you think I wasn’t going to come back?” was the only comment he had after she was done speaking.

Siobhan shrugged. “The way you have been with these hunts, and because Marvolo implied some conflict between the two of you when… well. I thought you must have gotten involved with him and your hunts have been for dark relics to try and cure Anne.”

She looked him in the eye, and he looked away from her instantly. “Sebastian,” she said. “Can you tell me I’m wrong?” He wouldn’t look at her. “Sebastian! What have you been keeping from me?”

Sebastian slammed his fist onto the table, causing her to jump. “I’ve never spoken to Marvolo. I wasn’t working for him,” he said lowly. He was silent for a tense moment before he added. “I’ve been working for Corvinus.”

Her stomach dropped. “Corvinus Gaunt? Their father?”

Sebastian nodded. “I got in touch with him over a year ago. Ominis had mentioned his family’s affinity for dark artifacts in the past.”

“You have been trying to find something to break Anne’s curse… still,” Siobhan stated.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and shrugged. This set her off. “No, don’t just roll your eyes at me and act nonchalant! I have suspected this for months, and every time I asked you about it, you made me feel like I was crazy for even thinking it, then popping off around the world, leaving me by myself for months at a time without ever being honest with me about why or for how long. Do you not see how terrible that is? How can you just act like I’m in the wrong for feeling upset about that? You’ve been lying to me for over a year!”

“Look,” Sebastian snapped. “I’m sorry that you had to deal with Marvolo like that, but if you want to blame someone for that, you are nagging the wrong bloke.”

Siobhan shook her head. She hadn’t been talking about that at all. She didn’t want to let him deflect from what she was trying to say, but she had a visceral reaction. “Well, I find the timing ironic. He came here right after you left like he was waiting for you to leave. Do you really expect me to believe it had nothing to do with you? Especially when you finally admitted to being involved with them?”

Sebastian laughed. “I think you are forgetting who else is involved with them. Don’t be foolish enough to think that Ominis is your bloody knight in shining armor. He isn’t the uptight, principled prick we went to school with. He’s a full-on, cutthroat dark wizard now. He’s just as bad as the rest of them and is knee-deep in his family’s sordid business. His hands are soaked in blood, and you were just begging for them.”

Siobhan remembered how instinctively Ominis had cast an Unforgivable in her defense. It was easy for her to just… forgive it, as she would have condoned almost anything to save herself from what Marvolo had planned for her. But Sebastian was no doubt right that he must have cast the spell many times, likely for far less noble reasons, to be so adept with it.

Still, his statement that Ominis was as bad as his family now just couldn’t register in her mind. Something in her just knew beyond any doubt that Sebastian was wrong. Whatever caused Ominis to give in to his family’s expectations, she had seen the goodness still in him. He was nothing like Marvolo. The two men were as different as the sun and the moon, and nothing Sebastian said would convince her to believe Ominis had changed at his core.

A thought occurred to her. “How do you know who Ominis is now?”

Sebastian sighed and lifted his hands. “What? Did you think Corvinus Gaunt would deign to deal with a lowly peasant like me directly? Ominis has been my… handler, in a sense. My hunts and assignments were all handed down through him. As I said, he is very involved in the Gaunt business.”

Siobhan pressed her lips into a thin line and took a deep breath. When she spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “So… you have been back in contact with him for… over a year. And you just left me in the dark?”

“Why should I have told you? It wasn’t your business,” he retorted childishly.

“Not my business?! He was my friend! He was our friend! You knew how much I agonized over his disappearance. How much I have worried about him. And you didn’t think it would ease my mind to know that he was alright?” she accused.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “Forgive me for not wanting to open the door for you to throw yourself at him.”

“There has never been anything between Ominis and I!” she shouted.

“Bollocks!” Sebastian shouted back. “You think I didn’t see the way you looked at him in fifth year? The way you two were always scheming behind my back to stop me from doing what I needed to do to help Anne? The way he did whatever you asked of him and followed you around like a blind dog?”

Siobhan opened and closed her mouth. She couldn’t think of anything to say to that. She knew she and Ominis had only been trying to make sure Sebastian didn’t get himself or others hurt, and that they had ultimately been right to worry, but she could see how it would have appeared to Sebastian. He saw people as either with him or against him with no gray area.

“And I will repeat,” Sebastian continued. “If you want to ask someone why Marvolo snatched you, you should be pointing the finger at Ominis, not me.”

Siobhan tried to force her mind back to her grievance. Every time she tried to address something that upset her, he instantly turned it around to talk about some flaw or failing of hers. He wasn’t necessarily wrong, but he wasn’t listening to her either.

Something clicked in her head. “You are selfish, Sebastian,” she whispered.

“Excuse me?” he fumed.

“You didn’t care that I was worried sick about Ominis? Whatever you imagined between us, he was my friend, and nothing ever happened between us. I was worried about him. You knew I was, and you let me agonize over that when you knew where he was. You were practically his coworker, and you hid it from me because you were more worried about your insecurities than my peace of mind. When you were looking for a cure for Anne in fifth year, you didn’t care that Anne was asking you not to. That she just wanted to spend time with you and enjoy what was left of her health. You traipsed all over the Highlands looking for a cure. You cared more about how you felt without your twin than what Anne expressly wanted for herself.” Sebastian started to interrupt her, but she stood and loomed over him.

“And with the Scriptorium, you knew better than anyone what Ominis’ history with his family was like. You knew how deeply it still hurt him, and you pushed him to let you into the study anyway, exposing him to the corpse of the only family member who ever cared about him without a second thought because you cared more about getting what you wanted than Ominis’ grief. Even now, Anne left and asked you to leave her alone. You killed the only caretaker she had because he got in the way of what you wanted. All she asked you for at that point was to leave her alone. And you still are searching for a cure. Ominis wrote to you that I had been assaulted and asked you to come home to be with me and make sure I was alright. You said yourself that you rushed home, not because I needed you, but because Ominis was the one taking care of me. You don’t care what the people around you are going through. You only care about how it affects what you want. You. Are. Selfish.”

After her rant, Sebastian just glared at her. He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed or to attempt to be introspective. He just looked angry that she had dared to hold a mirror to him.

She shook her head. To her, his silence was just confirmation, and it broke something in her. She felt her sense of connection to him snap like a worn thread in her heart. She stood up straight and turned away from him. She walked like an Inferius over to her dresser. She opened a drawer and started pulling out clothes.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing, Siobhan?” he growled.

“I can’t stay here. I can't stay with you. It's done,” she answered monotonously. She heard a grunt and the scrape of Sebastian’s chair on the wood.

“You’re not going anywhere.” He walked over to her and snatched a blouse out of her hands. She did not try to take it back from him, just moved on to the next article of clothing. He took that too. She reached under the bed and pulled out her charmed travel bag, not acknowledging him.

Sebastian snatched that too and then pushed her down onto the bed. “Siobhan, you are being ridiculous. You’re not leaving me.” Sebastian’s eyes were wide and manic.

Siobhan panicked when he tried to use his body weight to keep her in place. It was far too similar to Marvolo’s attack. She started to flail under him.

“He’s still looking for you, I bet. You are going to run off without a wand? You’re practically asking him to nab you again. Stop being stupid. I know you’re angry about the Ominis bit, but you’re just lashing out at me because you’ve had a difficult week. Calm down, and stop being dramatic,” Sebastian tried to convince her.

This only set her off more. “I am not being dramatic, Sebastian. Get off me.”

He sneered. “Oh, maybe you’re not worried because you are just going to run right back to Ominis. Is that what you want? You’re just upset about Marvolo because the wrong Gaunt tried to make you his whore, is that it?”

Siobhan felt that snapped thread completely disintegrate. She angled her leg and managed to land a solid kick at the ripped part of Sebastian’s pants, right where the poorly healed wound was. Sebastian gasped and fell to the side, cradling his leg, which had reopened. Siobhan did not waste time grabbing anything. She bolted up and ran out of the flat, slamming the door behind her and thundering down the stairs. She knew she should just apparate herself and get far away, but she was still a little drunk and was not nearly level-headed enough to focus. She wasn’t about to risk getting splinched for a second time tonight.

Instead, she just hit the cobblestone street outside of her building and took off running in a random direction. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to get far away from Sebastian.

 

Chapter 7

Notes:

CW: Referenced SA/Incest

A wand. Siobhan needed a wand. She had allowed herself to be vulnerable for long enough. Ominis had meant well when he suggested that she wait until the three of them could venture out together for her to get one, but that had backfired spectacularly. Now, every moment she didn’t have a wand was another moment Marvolo could take her by surprise and at a disadvantage.

After Siobhan was sure Sebastian was not following her, at least not successfully, she oriented herself and started for Diagon Alley. She would have preferred to return to the Ollivander’s shop in Hogsmeade, but easy access trumped preference. Given the late hour, the shop was surely closed, but she could hunker down for the night at The Leaky Cauldron and slip out first thing in the morning.

The entire way, Siobhan was looking furtively over her shoulder. She felt on edge and exposed. She had to explain to the bartender at The Leaky Cauldron that she had lost her wand and ask him to let her through the secret passageway from Muggle London into the Wizarding shopping center the following morning. It was awkward and embarrassing, but the middle-aged, portly wizard did not pry beyond confirming that she was indeed a witch. The galleon she offered for his trouble may have greased the wheels.

He offered her some late-night fare in the dining room, and as tempting as it was, she felt it was necessary to get out of the public eye as soon as possible. She trudged up to the tiny room she had rented for the night and collapsed on the bed. Now that she wasn’t moving, there was nothing to distract her mind from replaying the day’s events.

The tears she had kept at bay while she was fleeing burst out of her with a sob. She had left Sebastian. Five years of friendship and love... gone. He assumed she was leaving him for Ominis, but how much truth was there in that assumption? Siobhan had been unhappy for months. She felt neglected and taken for granted. Even if Ominis had never reappeared, finding out that he had been lying to her and manipulating her, again, would have been enough to tip her over the edge.

She had spent months fighting to ignore her own unhappiness because she was making an effort to trust Sebastian, but if she wasn’t able to trust him, then what was the point?

And who was to say she even wanted to be with Ominis? It wasn’t like she had to choose one or the other. She was perfectly capable of just starting fresh. Siobhan was only twenty years old. She was in no hurry to settle down.

The idea of being with Ominis did give her butterflies, even sober. She truly cared about him, and he was undeniably handsome, talented, and had a romantic heart, as she found out tonight. In a vacuum, she wouldn’t think twice about it. But it was important to remind herself that his heart clearly ached for someone else. She may have elicited a drunken physical response from him, but she would not be doing herself any favors if she tried to pursue something with a man who was pining for someone else.

She decided it would be best to make an effort to keep him in her life as a friend. She had missed him. The thought of being near him again made a shiver of longing run through her. She could ignore that though. She didn’t want to completely lose him again, and she didn’t want to hurt herself by pursuing someone who couldn’t give her their full attention. She had learned that lesson from Sebastian, even if there wasn’t another woman per se. She eventually cried herself to sleep and dreamed of music and moonstone eyes.

In the morning, she did not bother to stop for breakfast, just asked the barkeep to let her through to Diagon Alley. She had to make an active effort not to run down the street to Ollivander’s. Once she opened the door, Mr. Ollivander looked astonished to see anyone in his shop that early. She apologized and requested a second-hand wand. It may have been wishful thinking, but she hoped to still be able to reclaim her own wand from Marvolo. It felt wrong to bond with another wand while there was still a chance she could find her original wand again.

The moment she gripped the handle, she breathed easier and made sure to pay and quickly leave the store. As she was stepping down into the street, she bumped into someone’s shoulder and clattered to the ground. Looking up and already muttering apologies, she met the eyes of one of the most ethereally beautiful women she had ever seen. After staring at her dumbly for a moment, Siobhan scrambled to her feet and apologized.

The woman gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I can see the appeal,” was her only answer.

Siobhan furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry?” she asked.

“I have a message for you, from my brother.” The woman extended an envelope to Siobhan, and her breath caught in her chest. She did not take the envelope.

“Nelisa, I presume?” Siobhan asked, hoping her voice sounded more steady than she felt.

The middle Gaunt child inclined her head. She apparently was a woman of few words. Looking more closely at her, Siobhan could see her relation to Ominis. They shared their hair color, and their facial structure was almost the same, except Nelisa's lips were less full. Still, it was no mystery why Siobhan had found her stunningly beautiful. Looking into Nelisa’s crystal blue eyes, she couldn’t help but wonder if Ominis would have had those same eyes had he not been born blind.

Nelisa stepped forward and pulled her out of her musings. “I insist,” Nelisa said quietly as she elegantly held the envelope out towards her.

Siobhan took the envelope. She was apprehensive because she was quite sure Nelisa would not be Ominis’ errand girl, so there was only one brother she could be referring to. She did not open it, afraid to see its contents.

“You know what he wants with me?” Siobhan asked. She saw something flash briefly in the older woman’s eyes before she answered simply, “Yes.”

Siobhan stepped forward, having to look up at the tall Gaunt. “How can you help him with something like that?” Siobhan challenged.

This time, she could clearly identify the emotion in Nelisa’s eyes. It was fear. She did not answer for a moment, her jaw working in a way that reminded her of Ominis when he was tense. “Better you than me,” she whispered.

Siobhan’s jaw dropped open. Nelisa immediately turned away from her and started stalking down the street. She ripped the envelope open, and her stomach dropped when she read its contents.

 

Little mouse,

 

I grow tired of this hunt. Lucky for me, your would-be savior has made this much easier for me. He tried so valiantly to take me down. I’ve never seen him that determined, but my little brother has always been weak. I think you care about him almost as much as he cares about you. So, unless you want me to keep testing my theory of how many times a person can take the Torture Curse before they go insane, I suggest you come to me, alone and ready.

 

M.G.

 

P.S. We are already up to twelve!

 

Siobhan’s mouth was dry, and she was trembling. She felt fear, but it was largely drowned out by her rage. He has Ominis. She darted her eyes around and saw Nelisa still walking away. She apparated over to the witch and harshly pulled on her arm to make Nelisa stop. She flashed a dangerous look at Siobhan. “Let me go,” she demanded.

“Where are they?” she barked.

Nelisa sneered. “Going to give in that easily are you?”

Siobhan held her secondhand wand up to her throat. “I’m going to kill your brother. Sounds like he isn’t all that dear to you, so I suggest you let me do both of us a favor and spill.”

Nelisa’s eyes bored into hers for a few moments, assessing. “The family manor in Little Hangleton. I think you are a fool to face him.”

“I won’t leave Ominis to suffer in my place!” Siobhan snapped.

Nelisa sneered again. “Why not? You’ve done it before.” She jerked her arm out of Siobhan’s grip and started down the street again.

“What?” she asked incredulously. “I would never –”

“Feldcroft Catacombs,” Nelisa stopped and called over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling.

Siobhan gritted her teeth. “What do you know about Feldcroft?”

Nelisa smiled languidly as she turned to face her again, walking towards her with measured steps. “I know what my father knew, which is that, five years ago, a failed auror owled a letter to Headmaster Black before going to confront his wayward nephew and his friend, and then he turned up dead. I know he was very explicit about dark magic being involved, and that there were no marks on his body. The natural assumption is that someone used the Killing Curse on a retired civil servant. But which one? The wayward nephew? Or the friend, who the auror condemned in the letter as a bad influence on his nephew?”

Siobhan felt sick.

“I remember my prodigal brother racing back home to beg my father to intervene, to shield his friends from the consequences of their actions. All it took was for Father to call in a favor with Headmaster Black for the truth to be buried before the Auror even had been.” Nelisa took her last step into Siobhan’s personal space and whispered. “Would the friend care to guess what the price of my father’s intervention was?”

Siobhan couldn’t breathe. Durmstrang, acting against his conscience, serving his family’s interests. It all made sense now. If Nelisa wasn’t lying, Ominis gave everything up to protect Sebastian, and her. Siobhan squeezed her eyes shut. She was disgusted with herself for having reaped the benefits of Ominis’ sacrifice. It only strengthened her determination to be there for him this time. Siobhan shoved past Nelisa without another word and raced for the nearest floo. She would make sure Ominis never had to face his twisted, sadistic family alone again, no matter what it cost her.

Chapter 8

Notes:

CW: Implied/Referenced SA/Incest/Abuse

Siobhan shuddered as she left the main road near Little Hangleton behind and approached the dreariest, most unwelcoming building she had ever seen. Ominis was almost lucky he did not have to see it growing up, but she was certain he could feel the suffocating atmosphere. She marveled once again that he had managed to emerge from this place as kind-hearted as he was.

When she approached the gate, an intricate wrought iron monstrosity topped with a G entwined by a serpent, Siobhan couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She cautiously placed her hand on the frame, and it started to open, creaking on rusty hinges. Siobhan jumped when she heard the sudden popping sound of apparition right next to her. Looking down, she saw one of the most malnourished and haggard house elves she had ever seen. Her heart clenched painfully.

“Miss is here to see Master Gaunt, I presume?” the elf croaked.

“Ominis, please, can you take me to him?” she asked quietly.

“Mippy has been instructed to escort you to Master Marvolo,” she said as she started walking towards the manor’s front door. The same grey marble that made up the stairs continued up through the building’s intricately carved façade.

“Please, Mippy. I need to know that he is alright. Is there anything you can tell me?” Siobhan pleaded.

Mippy started fussing with her rags, nervous or uncomfortable, likely both. “Master Ominis is a… kindly wizard. Please do not cause him any hurt.”

Siobhan flinched. As if she would ever hurt Ominis. She remembered everything that Nelisa had told her. She supposed then that she already had hurt Ominis, letting him bear the consequences of her failure to stop Sebastian. As she looked up at the ridiculously tall, double doors with their chipped black paint, she asked herself what she would be willing to sacrifice to get Ominis out of here if she wasn’t able to outright defeat Marvolo. She had become quite familiar with pain since finding her magic. Could she sacrifice her dignity? Pay whatever price Marvolo demanded? She smiled dryly when she considered Ominis probably had a very similar conversation with himself when he climbed these same steps as a desperate fifteen year old boy, placing himself at his father's mercy, or whatever qualified as mercy from someone like Corvinus Gaunt.

She bit her lip and turned her mind to all of the warmth she had felt since Ominis found her. He was worth suffering for, she decided. What if Marvolo meant to kill her? Would she be able to die for Ominis?

She surprisingly felt less conflicted about that. Ominis had never had a chance at a full, free life. Even when her family thought her a squib, they treated her with a degree of kindness not often found in the Wizarding World. She had enjoyed her time at Hogwarts, and even since she left, she had been able to chart her own path and live her life as she wished.

Even though she had only lived for twenty years, they had been happy and relatively carefree, except for everything that happened in fifth year, and Ominis had made her happy even during that dark year. He deserved the same chance she’d had. If she could give him that, she wanted to, even if she couldn’t be there to enjoy it with him.

Mippy guided her through the grand foyer and down a hallway decorated with faded green wallpaper. As they reached the end of the hall and approached a door with bars on it, Siobhan noticed Mippy trembling.

She snapped her long fingers, and the door opened, revealing a far less elaborate, more draconian, stairway into the dark. The smell drifting up to her was unholy. She looked down at Mippy, who just whimpered and pulled on her worn ears. Siobhan nodded to her and, with apprehension she had not felt since venturing into the final repository, stepped down into the basement.

She walked slowly, drawing out her second-hand wand and casting Disillusionment. Marvolo surely knew she was here by now, but if she could get some sort of drop on him, she would take any advantage she could get. She wished she still kept her satchel of various potions and plants that she used to carry around with her. Siobhan shook her head. A man who sleeps with a knife under his pillow is a fool every day except one, as the muggle saying goes.

Once the hallway she found at the base of the stairs gave way to a large chamber, Siobhan caught her breath, trying to avoid giving away her location. A huddled form lay in the middle of the floor. Even in the dim light cast by torches along the walls, she recognized the hue of dark blonde hair peeking out over the bulky robes. Ominis, Siobhan restrained herself from breaking into a full-out sprint, quickly padding over to him. If Marvolo was nearby, she didn’t want to alert him to her arrival.

She kept her head on a swivel as she reached Ominis and lowered a hand down to check him for a pulse. She found it on his neck and was surprised to find it racing. She looked down, confused that someone unconscious would have such a fast pulse. Marvolo’s maniacal grin stared back up at her.

Siobhan dropped her Disillusionment and scrambled back away from him. Marvolo turned to follow her, looking bizarre with short blond hair. He waved his wand and transfigured his hair back to its natural long black state.

“Welcome back, little mouse. I have missed you,” Marvolo crooned.

Siobhan kicked herself for falling for his trick, and jumped to her feet, immediately throwing a Depulso to get him as far from her as possible. She could feel the difference with this second-hand wand in terms of the casting power. Marvolo did not even bother to dodge or deflect, he took the blow and slid back a few feet.

“Seems like you are missing something, little mouse.” His dark eyes trailed over her form, and she shivered with disgust.

“Where is Ominis?” Siobhan ground out through clenched teeth.

Marvolo chuckled. “Make that two somethings.”

“Where is he?!” she shouted and threw a series of stinging basic casts near Marvolo, who deflected them easily. He started pacing, twirling his wand between his fingers like he did not have a care in the world. She was repulsed and shaken, being so near to Marvolo again, but she tried to force her memories back into their box. She would not give him power over her mind so easily. She certainly would not cower from him.

“My dear little brother, you mean? Wouldn’t know. Haven’t seen him since he so rudely interrupted us,” he said.

Siobhan’s stomach dropped. This was all a trick. He doesn’t have Ominis. A larger part of her was relieved. Ominis hadn’t been tortured. He was somewhere else, safe. All she had to do now was keep it that way by taking out his psychopathic older brother. Even without Ominis or Sebastian by her side, even if she was rusty, Siobhan was still the Hero of Hogwarts. Marvolo Gaunt, while clinically insane, was nothing compared to the raw power Ranrok wielded in the Repository. Then again, she’d had her own wand and Ancient Magic at her disposal.

Siobhan centered herself, driving out all thought and settling into her dueling stance. Marvolo started to drop into his own, but quickly stood straight up again, mocking her. She took a deep breath. He probably favors an aggressive style, like Sebastian, best to put him on the defensive early. Don’t let him get close. Watch for Unforgivables.

Siobhan took a last deep breath before opening her offensive with old faithful, Confringo. Marvolo’s Protego flared just in time. She followed up with Diffindo and Bombarda, then a few more basic casts. As she prepared her next spell, Marvolo broke out of his shield and threw a Reducto at her. She dodged and sent the Glacius she’d been preparing wide. It hit just behind him. The sounds of their spells echoed deafeningly against the stone walls.

Marvolo went on the offensive while she was off balance. She cast her own Protego and shuddered with every jarring impact of his assault; her shield was pitiful without her own wand. She couldn’t keep this up for long. There was no way she would be able to overpower Marvolo; she’d have to rely on being smarter or faster than him. She eyed the ice left behind by her Glacius, the edge of it almost reaching Marvolo. He was so focused on her that he didn’t seem to have noticed it or bothered to give it a wide berth. Siobhan dropped to her knees, and she released her shield as she whipped the strongest Depulso she could muster.

Not anticipating the height change of his target, Marvolo’s Incarcerous sailed over her head just as her Depulso landed. He slid back and made the most undignified sound as his feet flew out from under him and he landed with a thump on the ice.

Siobhan readied herself to take advantage of the moment. “SIOBHAN!” a voice roared through the hallway. She whirled around in dismay. Ominis shoved the door open, and the tip of his wand sent out rapid pulses as he tried to get the lay of the room as quickly as possible. His blind gaze landed on her first, standing with her wand drawn, and then settled on Marvolo, who was trying to scramble up on the ice, muttering to himself.

“Ominis, what are you doing here?” she hissed.

He looked confused. “I got a letter from Marvolo saying he’d captured you again. How did you get free?”

Siobhan rolled her eyes. They were both fools. “I got the same letter from him about you.”

Ominis closed his eyes and leaned his head back, slightly bending his back, understanding at the same time that they had both been tricked into walking right into the lion’s den for each other.

Marvolo, still sitting on the ice, started to cackle. “So bloody gullible. This really was too easy.” He tried to get up one more time, his foot sliding out from under him again. He roared in frustration, “Incendio.” The fire shot out around him in a circle, instantly melting the ice and sending up a cloud of vapor.

Ominis came to stand by her side, his brow furrowed in concern and his hand clasping hers. “Are you alright? I’m not too late?” he asked as Marvolo stepped out of the steam, rolling his head from left to right and loosening his arms.

“I had him on his arse. I can knock him on it again,” she answered before giving his hand a brief squeeze and releasing it as she readied herself for round two.

Ominis nodded and took a few steps away from her, giving them both space to move and cast.

Marvolo shifted his eyes between the both of them, swaying back and forth like a cobra readying itself to strike. “So good of you to come, little brother. I am going to make you listen this time. Then,” he perked up as an idea he considered brilliant struck him. “Then, I’m going to pull out the memory, shove your face in a pensieve, and make you watch. How about that for the first and last thing you’ll ever see? Your precious Siobhan getting speared open by my—”

Marvolo didn’t get to finish his disgusting taunt, because Ominis burst into action, “Expulso, Confringo, Stupefy, Ossio Dispersimus!” Marvolo was quickly thrown on guard by the barrage of strong casts Ominis unleased. He deflected and dodged them, cackling the whole time.

“Ooooh, touchy, touchy, Ominis!” he teased. Siobhan threw some more simple spells, distracted by Marvolo’s confirmation that it was in fact Ominis who he was trying to punish by attacking her.

Ominis got more ferocious as the duel went on. After a minute, he was hurling curses that Siobhan had only heard used by the likes of Rookwood’s Ashwinders. She was both impressed and shaken. It reminded her of Sebastian’s claim, that Ominis had fully embraced the Dark Arts. He certainly didn’t duel at all like he did in Hogwarts. He used to prefer the defensive, protecting and shielding until his opponent made a mistake, and then seizing the perfect moment. Now, she could describe his attacks as vicious. He would easily give Sebastian a run for his money, and Marvolo was clearly not as skilled as either of them.

Siobhan had opted to focus on defense, shielding herself and Ominis from the attacks he was able to send out between Ominis’ spell chains while tossing her own in the mix. After several minutes of this, Siobhan was getting tired. Marvolo had seemed to be on the verge of losing the whole time, but they never quite got the best of him. He seemed to always dodge or get his shield up just in the nick of time. Siobhan’s Flipendo sailed just past his shoulder, and she snarled in frustration.

Marvolo’s eyes snapped to her, gleaming with mischief. He cast Bombarda Maxima at Ominis, while he was in the middle of his own curse. Siobhan threw a shield up around him at the last moment, but, as she was focused on that, Marvolo shifted his attention back to her. “Deprimo!”

She saw his spell coming, but his wand wasn’t aiming at her. Rather, his spell hit the floor just at her feet and shattered the stone, sending her falling into the rubble. She lost her grip on her secondhand wand and it clattered away into the wreckage. She coughed as dust filled her lungs. She tried to look through the cloud and raise herself but winced and fell back onto her side. Her left wrist ached and protested sharply when she tried to put weight on it.

The cloud cleared enough for her to see Marvolo walking closer to her. His smug, cruel eyes were lit by a sickening red light as he prepared to cast Crucio. Siobhan tried to lift herself again, gritting her teeth through the pain. There was no blocking the Torture Curse. Her only option was to dodge.

She was only half up when Marvolo incanted, “Crucio!” She watched in horror, trying to brace herself as the jagged stream of red raced towards her.

“Siobhan!” A heavy weight slammed over her and knocked her onto her side an instant before the screaming began. Siobhan cried out in dismay to see Ominis convulsing between her and Marvolo. His arms were braced on either side of her, fingers scrabbling for purchase against the jagged stone beneath them, and his face was contorted into a mask of pure agony as the curse ripped through his body.

She couldn’t move from under him. He was too heavy, and his arms caged her in. Tears flowed freely from the corners of her eyes as she stared up at him. She was able to bring a hand up to cup his cheek, hoping to remind him through the pain that he was not alone. She couldn’t tell if he even noticed it. His screams were like daggers in her ears and heart.

Marvolo cut the curse off and groaned above them as Ominis slumped against her, making her huff when she bore his full weight. He trembled as the aftershocks shot through him. “Oh, how adorable and noble, little brother. I remember your screams so well, but I was really hoping to taste some more of hers. You know, you could have prevented all of this by being more careful with your Occlumency.”

Siobhan shifted her head up to glare up at Marvolo.

“Aw, even now he hasn’t told you.” Marvolo grinned and crouched down next to them. “I was always curious why Ominis suddenly bent to Father’s will, how one day he was cursing us as pureblood supremacists, which isn’t an insult by the way, and the next was keeping his head down like a well-beaten dog. No one ever bothered to tell me, and I honestly didn’t care enough to snoop. But, at Father’s funeral, after Ominis refused to give up his share of the estate to me, which should have been my birthright as the firstborn son, I decided to do a little digging. Legillimency is a very handy tool, especially when someone is too distracted to properly guard their mind. And this boy,” Marvolo jabbed a finger at the still dazed Ominis. “He was very distracted that day. I took a little snoop around, and he couldn’t seem to think of anything else but you. ‘With Father gone, could I find her again? Would she accept me? Sebastian says they are happy. Even being her friend again would be enough,’” he jeered.

Another cackle preceded his next revelation. “He also had far more unsavory, less romantic fantasies. Oh, he was so conflicted between not wanting to betray his good friend, Sebastian, while secretly wanting nothing more than to do so.”

Siobhan turned away from Marvolo in shock. She looked up at Ominis. He seemed barely present, breathing heavily with his face still contorted. She caressed his cheek again, not sure what to do with the hurricane of emotion she was feeling.

“Naturally, it was deliciously obvious what I needed to do to break him. The con of Ominis is that I had no idea what you looked like, but, Merlin, did he play your voice on repeat in his mind. Melodic, he called it. I couldn’t have cared less if you felt the same about him, he was quite certain you didn’t, but your face when he came to your rescue last time told me the whole story. You two really are quite a sad tale. Now,” Marvolo stood and shook out his wand arm. “I’m going to take great pleasure in making it a proper tragedy.”

Siobhan screamed with helpless rage as he reignited Ominis’ prone body with Crucio. He joined her screams with his own, jolted back to alertness. She started to panic. She couldn’t get Ominis to budge. She looked around frantically for her borrowed wand. A red pulse of light drew her attention. Just beyond her reach, Ominis’ wand laid and pulsed rapidly, like it was trying to communicate. Siobhan remembered Ominis describing his wand as having somewhat of a mind of its own.

She fervently hoped this was true. She shifted as much as she could and strained, feeling like her shoulder was going to pop out of its socket. Ominis’ cries in her ear spurred her on. She groaned and pushed herself farther and finally scrabbled her fingers around the warm wooden handle. She yanked it back to her and looked up at Ominis. She didn’t know what she was looking for, permission to use his wand, the most personal item for any witch or wizard, or for confirmation of what Marvolo had claimed, but he was nowhere close to the present, likely retreating into his mind to hide from the feeling of white-hot knives splitting every nerve in his body.

She shot her eyes over to Marvolo who was still grinning with wicked glee at his brother’s torment. Siobhan reached deep, daring to search for everything within herself she could muster. She was desperate; she had to end this, once and for all. As she pointed Ominis’ wand at Marvolo, a flood rushed up to meet her. Her Ancient Magic, embracing her with the eagerness of a long-separated friend, surged through every fiber of her being. Siobhan gasped, losing her breath as she felt the once familiar high of pure power at her command.

She didn’t need an incantation, she just let go, and the power burst from her like a broken dam, slamming into Marvolo and carrying him through the air, near the ceiling, and slamming him into the wall with a sickening crack before dropping him down to the ground in a motionless heap.

The Torture Curse ended again, and Ominis sagged once more. Siobhan pushed and shoved at him. He didn’t really acknowledge her but did shift onto his side, freeing her now that Marvolo appeared neutralized… for now. Siobhan shot to her feet and ran over to the eldest Gaunt. He was breathing but unconscious. She raised Ominis' wand and regarded him uncertainly. She told Nelisa she was going to kill him. If he had been killed by that blast, it would have been justified. She had killed before. Ranrok, Victor Rookwood, and many of their followers had died at the other end of her wand, but those had always been in the heat of battle.

As she stared at Marvolo, lying on the ground defenseless, it occurred to her that while she had killed, she had never executed someone before. She had promised to get rid of him. He would never leave them in peace, but something in her balked at the thought of just killing someone in this way, even someone as vile as Marvolo Gaunt. But even if they called the Aurors and turned him in, the name of Gaunt carried so much weight with the prominent wizarding families, many of whom sat on the Wizengamot. Sebastian had never even been arrested because of the influence Corvinus Gaunt wielded, an influence that would theoretically be at Marvolo’s disposal now. They couldn’t risk him being set free. Even if he went to Azkaban, he could pull strings to try and hurt them.

She groaned in conflict, turning back to Ominis. She wished she could just ask him what to do, it was his brother after all, but he was still unresponsive. Siobhan bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. At that moment, a thought came to her. She knelt down next to Marvolo. “Obliviate,” she murmured.

She feared the spell would backfire. The memory charm was a complex spell, and most wizards' wands would reject anyone other than their bonded wizard attempting such high level magic with them. But she felt a warmth from the wand, almost as if it was encouraging her. In its limited sentience, perhaps it wanted Ominis to be free as much as she did.

As the spell began to take effect, she flipped through his mind, determining what to erase, what to modify, and what to leave behind. She found many memories of the torments he had inflicted on Ominis throughout the years. She erased or altered them all.

Her stomach heaved when she found memories of Nelisa, much younger than she appeared when Siobhan met her. Wide, fearful eyes filled with tears, pain, and betrayal. A kindness and brightness that dimmed over years of abuse. Siobhan wanted to vomit. She had promised Nelisa that she would rid her of Marvolo too, and that’s what she was going to do. She took as much time as she needed to turn Marvolo from the oldest Gaunt child into the only Gaunt child. Lastly, she began to erase his memories of herself.

When she got to the day of Corvinus Gaunt’s funeral, she tried her best to not focus on what he gleaned from Ominis’ mind and just erase the lot. It felt like she would also be invading his privacy, but a few details did slip through. She noted the smell of the perfume she usually wore, a few snippets of conversations they’d had at school, and the feeling of her and Ominis hugging. She blushed. It was still possible that Marvolo had been exaggerating what he found in Ominis’ thoughts, but it was undeniable that she was on his mind in some capacity that day.

When she got to Marvolo’s personal memories of her, she began to shake. She did her best to just erase it all as quickly as she could. This was not a memory she wanted to see from his perspective, but if she didn’t get through it, he would get to keep it, and that was unacceptable. She also decided to completely erase his memories after that. He would be confused and may even assume someone had tampered with his memory, but he would have no way of knowing who.

By the time she was done and broke the spell, sweat was dripping from her forehead, and she was utterly exhausted by the toll of the duel, all of the emotions, using so much Ancient Magic for the first time in years, and the pure concentration it had taken to pull off such a complicated Obliviate. She was honestly surprised she’d done it. When she came back to herself, she jumped when she saw Ominis sitting by her side, a hand placed supportively on her shoulder. She hadn’t even noticed him come near her.

She cried out and threw herself at him, tackling him to the ground and hugging him so tightly she thought she might just squeeze the breath out of him. Ominis groaned beneath her, clearly still aching from the curses he endured. Siobhan collected herself guiltily, starting to pull away, but Ominis wrapped his arms around her in return, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply. “Are you alright?” he asked shakily.

Siobhan scoffed and forcefully broke his hold, propping herself up so she could look him in the eyes. “You ridiculous man!” she huffed.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“Take the Torture Curse for me and have the gall to ask me if I am alright?!” she scolded.

Ominis smiled sheepishly. “Are you?”

At this moment, Siobhan became very aware of the positioning of their bodies. Her knees sat on either side of his hips, while his hands rested on hers. It was quite intimate. She blushed and scrambled off of him, clearing her throat. “I’m tired and bruised, but alive, thanks to you.” She handed Ominis back his wand.

He sighed in relief, and his wand pulsed as he took her in, confirming for himself that she was all in one piece. He pushed himself up to a standing position with a groan and held out his hand to help her up. Ever the gentleman. As he lifted her, he said, “I suppose I owe you the same thanks.” He paused when she hissed. Her wrist still smarted, Ominis instantly invaded her personal space. "Where are you hurt?"

Siobhan gave him a hollow laugh in answer. "You really should be worrying about yourself right now, but if you insist on fretting, it's just my wrist. Don't suppose I could bother you for another Episkey?"

Ominis smirked. "Any time." He quickly cast the charm, and Siobhan tested the wrist, happy with the results. Ominis poked and proded it a bit until he was satisfied himself that she was put right.

She stood straight now, looking up at him as his thumb absentmindedly caressed the back of her hand, and she shivered at the touch. “Is there somewhere we can go? I’d rather not stay here a moment longer, and I can’t exactly go home now.”

Ominis lifted one of his eyebrows but nodded and did not ask any questions about that. He accio'd her borrowed wand out of the rubble and returned it to her. He then guided her off the property and out of the gate before he apparated them. As he did so, Siobhan’s stomach flipped for more reasons than the apparation.

Chapter 9

When the world came back into focus, Siobhan saw that they were in front of a row of townhouses. Ominis stepped towards the one directly in front of them, at the end of the row. Siobhan was pulled gently along with him, as he had not released her arm, and she had made no effort of her own to separate them. Once they were safe inside, she felt Ominis run his hand a short way up her arm and back down, which made her shiver. “Velvet,” he observed. “Are you still wearing my Aunt Noctua’s dress?”

Siobhan flushed with embarrassment as she self-consciously smoothed the skirt down with her free hand, only noticing now that the garment was significantly worse for wear after the duel, bearing several rips from flying shards of rock. She was filthy after Marvolo blasted the basement floor, not to mention from her perspiration during the fight. 

Ominis took her silence as answer enough. “Please feel free to make your way upstairs. There is a guest room immediately off the stairs with a washroom.”

Siobhan nodded and started walking towards the stairs directly ahead of her, making her way with the light coming in from the glass in the front door. As Ominis promised, she located the guest room and washroom without difficulty and took her time in the bath, trying to calm her nerves as she once again found herself alone in what she assumed was Ominis’s home. This time felt different. Siobhan felt a tension after everything that had happened. She wasn’t sure if Ominis was aware of what Marvolo had said, given that he was stunned from the Torture Curse, and she had no idea how to broach the topic with him to clarify. 

If what Marvolo claimed was true, then Ominis cared deeply for her, more than their previous friendship ever explored. If it was just a sick mind game, she would feel thoroughly embarrassed for even mentioning it.

Before she could come to any decision, the water had grown cold, encouraging her to vacate the bath and redress after she gave her clothes a good Scourgify and Reparo. She didn’t bother to do her hair in any specific style, leaving it down, but she did quickly dry it. Siobhan stepped cautiously out into the bedroom, feeling more anxious than ever but refreshed. When she saw she was indeed alone, she went back downstairs and through the door off of the entryway nearest to the front door where she heard Ominis moving around.

Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness in the room while her ears tried to hone in on Ominis. He seemed to be making himself at home while Siobhan stood there in the dark. She heard shuffling from him going through those motions for a few moments before she sighed and used her secondhand wand to draw the curtain at the window and let the early afternoon sun in, illuminating the large parlor and Ominis on one of its couches. She saw his brow furrow as he heard the curtain rings slide across the rods before he gave a sheepish smile.

“Apologies, Siobhan. I do not often have people over with working eyes,” he offered.

She smirked. “No need to apologize. So, this place also belongs to you?” Siobhan asked while she allowed her eyes to trail around the room, taking in the décor. It was similar to his aunt’s cottage in that it was decorated far more simply than the manor was. Still, Ominis did seem to have somewhat finer tastes than Noctua, as the furniture and decorations he did have were clearly of higher quality.

“Yes,” Ominis answered. He walked over to a cabinet before he continued. “We are in London, in St. James’s. This has been my primary residence since I returned from Durmstrang. I made a point to only visit Aunt Noctua’s cottage sparingly, so as not to reveal its existence.”

Siobhan shook her head in slight exasperation, walking deeper into the room to trail her fingertips along the mantle of the marble fireplace. “You and your secret hideaways…So, all this time, you’ve been living less than a bloody mile away. My flat is in Soho, only a couple of blocks from here. I could have run into you on the street if fate were kinder.”

Her heart stopped when she reached the other end of the mantle and saw a framed photograph. She touched the frame gently and teared up as she took in the three young faces that stared back at her. In the moving, black-and-white picture, a fifteen-year-old Sebastian slung both of his arms around the shoulders of his friends, Siobhan and Ominis, yanking them into a side hug. Ominis rolled his clouded eyes at his antics while Siobhan laughed out loud, turning her face up to Sebastian like he was the sun and she was trying to soak in his warmth. What she hadn’t seen that day, being so focused on Sebastian, was how Ominis closed his eyes and smiled serenely, listening to her laugh.

She remembered this day. It was one of the last warm days of fall, after they had ventured into the Scriptorium but before Sebastian had found that cursed relic that changed everything. They had been coming back from a trip to Hogsmeade when they had run into Everett Clopton, who offered to show them his newfangled camera. Sebastian had insisted they get a photograph. As far as she’d known, Everett had never bothered to provide them with the developed picture. “I thought Everett forgot to give this to us,” she murmured.

Ominis flushed and cleared his throat while he opened the cabinet, revealing a couple of shelves of bottles above a set of crystal decanters and glasses. “I… I asked him to give it to me before I left. I know that is silly; I obviously can’t see it, but it felt good to have a memento of… how things were… before…” Ominis took a deep breath and started pouring himself a drink from a decanter while Siobhan tried to regain control of her own emotions, then changed the subject. “So, speaking of Soho, care to tell me why we could not return you to your flat?”

Siobhan flinched, aware that the conversation could go in many different directions from here, several of them awkward. “I left Sebastian. He… he didn’t take it well.”

Ominis paused momentarily while replacing the stopper. It was only a momentary reaction, but for Ominis, who always strove to hide his emotions, that was the equivalent of dropping the whole thing. “I see. Define ‘not well. ’”

Siobhan hesitated before answering. “There was violence. He didn’t believe that there wasn’t…someone else.”

Ominis placed the decanter back on its shelf but remained facing away from her. “Given our last interaction, I don’t have to wonder who he assumed that might be.” His shoulders slumped. “I truly am sorry for having caused tension in your relationship. I know Sebastian is important to you. If it would help, I would be willing to try to reason with him, confirm nothing happened in that cottage.”

Siobhan bit her lip and walked over to stand behind Ominis as he threw back his glass of what she assumed was firewhiskey, her heart beating fast. She couldn’t seem to hold the words back as her mind drifted over their time together. That fire in her belly from last night was relit now that she stood so close to him. He offered a glass to her over his shoulder. 

She took it, wondering why he didn’t seem to want to face her, but answered anyway after taking a sip of the firewhiskey. “My relationship with Sebastian was on the rocks before the cottage. I’ve been unhappy for months. I knew deep down he was deceiving me; I just didn’t want to believe it because I knew what it would mean if it were true. His jealousy isn’t why I left him; that was just what escalated the confrontation. I appreciate your offer, but that die was cast long before you came back into our lives. Well… into my life. I suppose you’ve been back in Sebastian’s for a while. Still, I don’t want to be with him because he doesn’t know how to be honest with the people close to him. Without trust, there cannot be love.”

Ominis poured himself another glass and was silent for several moments before simply saying, “I see.” He paced across the room, still facing away from her, and stopped by the photo on the mantle. “I can understand if his involvement with the Dark Arts is something you cannot look past, especially since he was hiding it from you.”

“Well, I was able to forgive him for getting lost in the Dark Arts once before. Who knows, I might have been able to do so again. But he was hiding you from me on top of all of that.” Siobhan’s emotions clouded her voice. She saw Ominis tense, but she carried on. “Ever since you left, things have felt… wrong, like there was this gaping hole where you should’ve been. I’ve… missed you, Ominis. Missed you so much, and he just let me keep missing you even after he reconnected with you.”

Ominis turned and hastened to her side once he heard the distress in her voice. By the time Siobhan was done speaking, she was on the verge of tears, and Ominis had pulled her into a hug. “Is what your brother told me after he tortured you true?” Siobhan mumbled into his chest, apprehensive but unable to stop herself from broaching the topic once he was pressed against her with all of his warmth. He made her feel safe enough to risk a little embarrassment if it had been a lie, and his nearness excited her enough that she hoped it had been the truth.

Ominis pushed her gently away and furrowed his brow. Dread clouded his face. “What did he say?”

Siobhan bit her lip. “He said… that you… care for me, not as a friend, or at least that you did when we were at Hogwarts.”

His cheeks became instantly red. Siobhan smiled, her heart beating faster and sending blood up to her own cheeks. Ominis gently brought a hand up to her cheek and nodded slightly. “I suppose there is no use denying it. I did. I do.”

Her jaw dropped when she recalled the song he sang. She had assumed it was for Anne, but he was singing about her, for her. A surge of adrenaline ran through her at his confession. “But then, how could you stay away? Nelisa told me about the deal you made to save us, which I don’t think I could ever repay you for, but once you were back in Sebastian’s life, how could you hide yourself from me?” 

Ominis looked pained. He brought his other hand up so that he was cradling her face. She could hardly breathe. “Never think for a moment that I wanted to. But…” Ominis paused as he seemed to be warring with himself. “At Hogwarts, I never said anything because you were spending most of your time fighting for your life. I could not risk distracting you. I had hoped that once the rebellion was dealt with, I could be honest with you about my feelings. I knew Sebastian had designs on you as well, but… well… with Sebastian delving deeper and deeper into the Dark Arts. I liked to fancy myself a better match for you, a better man.”

Siobhan’s heart wrenched when she saw Ominis look ashamed as he mumbled, “I have no such delusions anymore. So, when Sebastian demanded that I stay away and leave you to his care, you were already in an established relationship, and I knew Sebastian hadn’t been blind to my hopes in school either. Any attempt to contact you would have sent him into a jealous spiral, unfounded as his fears were that I could swoop in and steal you from him, even if I tried. You were happy, as far as I knew. I didn’t want to jeopardize that by being selfish.”

She forcefully gripped his hands where they were resting against her cheeks, trying to capture every ounce of his attention, even if she could not capture his gaze. “Merlin’s beard, Ominis. Hear me when I say that you are still a good man. Whatever stain you feel has been left on your soul by your family is only there because you were protecting us at your own expense. You say I don’t know how to look after myself, but it would do you a great deal of good to put your own happiness first for a change and be a little selfish every once in a while.

“Besides, I can’t really blame him for his jealousy. If I am being honest with myself, nothing did happen at the cottage, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want something to.” Siobhan allowed her hands to drop from his and trail down onto his chest, needing to feel his solidity to steady her as she laid her cards on the table.

Siobhan’s breath caught in her throat at his stricken expression. His hands abandoned her cheeks, resting on her shoulders, and she shuddered at the warmth his touch sent through her. Ominis clearly felt her reaction, and his lips parted and closed several times before he pressed forward and claimed hers in a kiss that stole all of her remaining breath. She moaned as she felt her soul leave her body and be replaced by undiluted desire. She pressed herself closer to him, and the groan that rumbled out of him and through her felt like pure sin.

Suddenly, Ominis pulled away from her, using his grip on her shoulders to keep her at arm’s length. Siobhan whined needily, and she did not miss the clear need that passed over his own face when he heard that sound. “What’s wrong?” she breathed out. 

Ominis looked down at the ground for a few moments and appeared so conflicted when he raised his face to hers again that her heart sank. “Siobhan,” Ominis cleared his throat. “You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that, but…”

“But what?” Siobhan tried to press forward gently, but he kept his arms locked out.

“I have never known more acute and utter misery than those first weeks and months without you. Trying to accept that I may never hear your voice or feel the soft brush of your hand against mine again did more damage to my soul than my father ever could. I do not think I could survive losing you again if we continued down this road.” Tears gathered in his cloudy eyes as he stepped a little closer and started tracing her face with his fingertips. 

The featherlight touches caused Siobhan’s eyes to flutter closed. It occurred to her that he might be trying to map her face as it was now, since it had been years since he last did this, before he could say something that caused her to walk away. “Siobhan,” he exhaled. “You are everything I wouldn’t even let myself dream of since I was a boy. If you choose to continue down this path, I do not think I would ever have the strength to let you go again. I almost lost you again today. I’ve never been so afraid in my life.”

Siobhan bit her lip at his sincerity. “I would have faced Marvolo a thousand times over to get you back.”

Ominis shook his head. “You should not have put yourself at risk like that for me.”

Siobhan knew that Ominis only spoke out of concern for her, but she couldn’t help retorting, “You risked yourself for me.”

“That’s different,” Ominis responded heatedly.

Siobhan was taken aback by his sudden anger. “How is it different for you to risk yourself for me?”

“I did that because I’m in love with you!” he shouted.

“Right!” Siobhan shouted back.

She gasped. She hadn’t known it was true for her until she admitted it. Ominis was unable to keep the full spectrum of his shock off his face.

When his trembling fingertips brushed over her lips, Siobhan pressed a kiss against them and whispered his name. Ominis responded by letting his self-control slip, grasping greedily at her hips and crushing the two of them together again. Their lips clashed, and their bodies protested any space between them. Ominis backed her up to the cabinet and broke their kiss to taste his way down her neck. He groaned when he inhaled her scent deeply. Siobhan gasped when his teeth buried themselves possessively into the flesh between her neck and shoulder, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make her whine and arch her back into him.

Ominis laved his tongue over the spot and sucked on it, then gave the same treatment to the skin all the way up her neck. All the while, his hands roamed freely, setting fires under her skin like a fanatic arsonist. He was already reducing her to a quivering mess, and they hadn’t even removed any clothing. His hands tangled in her hair, and she felt his lips pull into a small smile against her neck.

“Have you always had this much hair?” he asked, running his fingers through her thick, long locks. 

Siobhan giggled. Ominis pulled back so they were face to face, and she got a full view of his beautiful mouth, smirking. His hand caught on a tangle, pulling slightly on her scalp. In the silence, the soft moan it elicited from her was perfectly audible to Ominis, who gave her a self-satisfied smile before returning his grasp to the base of her skull, using that leverage to pull her head back and completely expose her neck to him like a submissive wolf. 

Siobhan didn’t resist his demanding grasp and let her own hands wander the expanse of his back, pulling at the fabric of his suit. His mouth returned to the now sensitive spot where he had bitten her. She made her own effort to yank his hair. Ominis let out a moan of his own, and he got that glint in his sightless eyes that he got right before he enacted some mischief. 

“What are you–” Siobhan asked before she was cut off by the tugging feeling in her gut when Ominis apparated them. The feeling of apparation was followed by the sensation of falling. Siobhan had barely been able to follow what happened in her disoriented state when Ominis had placed his hands behind her knees and yanked her feet out from under her, sending her sailing back onto his bed.

The moment her back hit the silken sheets, Ominis had settled himself between her legs. Siobhan batted her fists against his solid chest as he chuckled. “Ominis Gaunt, you ridiculous man! Did you seriously just apparate us upstairs ?!”

Any further berating she might have done turned into a tentative moan when Ominis took some of his weight off his elbows and let his body press into her. What she felt against her abdomen derailed any thoughts in her mind. One of his hands settled on her waist, and he ground his hips firmly against her core, drawing a far less tentative moan from her.

“I could have carried you, but I think I’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” he teased. Siobhan groaned her assent before allowing herself to giggle a little more at his playfulness.

He sobered up after a moment. “Are you alright?” he asked.

Siobhan knit her brows together in confusion. “What do you mean?” she asked, panting and feeling a little dizzy.

Ominis huffed a sigh. “With this? If you don’t feel ready to be… close with someone yet, I’d understand. It’s very common for people to need time after having something like that taken from them.”

Siobhan put space between them by shoving gently on his chest, her buzz dwindling. “I’m confused. Nothing was taken from me.”

Ominis clenched his jaw, not relishing the recollection of Marvolo’s attack any more than she was, but not wanting to risk further hurt to her by pushing too hard. “I mean… I know I interrupted him, but he was taking what was not being freely given.”

Siobhan bit her lip. “Ominis, I feel like you are being vague to try and maintain my comfort, but to be clear, Marvolo did not take me in that way.”

He sat back on his heels with a frown. “What? But I heard… and I could sense some of his movement…”

Siobhan surprised herself by laughing. “What you heard and sensed was Marvolo thrusting into his fist because he hadn’t managed to… wake the dragon, let’s say.”

She saw a corner of his mouth pull up slightly before he forced a neutral expression. “He wasn’t ready? For you ?”

Siobhan batted his shoulder. “My mocking of his member may have played a part.”

Ominis outright smiled. “Well, I can’t imagine he liked that very much. It’s every man’s nightmare to disappoint a lady in that way.”

Siobhan eagerly climbed onto his lap and ground herself down onto his own dragon, which was wide awake. They both groaned at the friction. “I don’t foresee us having that problem,” Siobhan giggled and pressed kisses along his sharp jaw while one of his arms snaked around her waist, holding her close to him, and his other hand returned to her hair. 

He bucked up against her, sending them both deeper down the rabbit holes of their growing desire. “Darling, I’ve been ‘ready’ for you since Fifth Year.”

Siobhan blushed and bit her lip, thinking back on all the time they’ve shared since they met. The fact that he never stopped caring for her, despite everything. “So… you thought your brother had succeeded in… raping me. And you still wanted to be with me?” She choked up a bit as she spoke, and the smirk on his face disappeared. Instead, he looked up at her with absolute devotion.

“Of course,” he answered.

“How could you stand that?!” she asked incredulously.

Ominis grimaced. “I can’t claim to have been remotely near unbothered. I didn’t want to further distress you by showing the extent of my…” he paused and considered his next words. “Rage. I contemplated many courses of action that Fifth Year Ominis would have condemned. At the manor, if Marvolo hadn’t beaten me to it, an Unforgivable or two were on the tip of my tongue. Regardless, none of that coloured my perception of you. Nothing he, nor anyone else, could do would ever change how important you are to me.”

Siobhan shuddered. A feeling that was far from fear or disapproval ran through her at the recollection of the shockingly aggressive approach Ominis had taken to dueling his brother in the basement. She imagined Marvolo writhing on the dark stone instead of Ominis while the Torture Curse wracked through him. Siobhan could not conjure the disgust she had been conditioned to at the thought. While she hadn’t been able to bring herself to outright execute him, she doubted she would have spoken a word in his defense if Ominis had had his way. 

And tears gathered in the corners of her eyes when she felt the full force of how fiercely Ominis loved her. She wouldn’t have blamed him if the thought of being with her repulsed him before they cleared up their misunderstanding, but he hadn’t hesitated. Siobhan felt compelled to earn his devotion because she felt it was more than she deserved after what he had been through on her behalf.

She trailed kisses all over his face, trying to shower him with her affections.

She shivered again when she felt Ominis trace up and down her spine before filling his palm with as much of her backside as he could and squeezing, pulling her flush against him again to provide further evidence of his unwavering interest .

“I promise, darling,” he whispered. “I could not imagine being with anyone but you, and no one ,” He emphasized his words by bringing his other hand to grip her other cheek and give him full leverage to give them both delicious friction. “ No one will ever lay a hand on you again. I swear, I will protect you, if you’ll have me.”

Siobhan groaned as she eagerly sought the friction his clothed member was providing her. “Yes,” she gasped.

Ominis stole her breath when he flipped them over so he was on top of her now, mercilessly grinding his girth against her increasingly sensitive, but still frustratingly covered, bundle of nerves at the crest of her womanhood. “Then tell me you’re mine,” Ominis demanded darkly. “There is no more Sebastian, nor anyone else. Give all of yourself to me, and I will do the same.”

Siobhan was increasingly distracted by the physical sensations, but his words sent a delicious shock through her. That sounded like heaven. “Yes, Ominis. I’m yours. Only yours!”

The juxtaposition of the angelic smile Ominis gave her, coupled with the continued incubine motion of his hips, let Siobhan know what she was in for. They both unleashed themselves. Enough words had been said, and far more than enough time had passed. Now, all Siobhan could think of was how the emptiness she had felt without Ominis in her life had become physical, and he was the only man she wanted to fill it.

Notes:

Sorry it has been a few weeks! I completed the nine month body builder program XD we are starting to return to some normalcy though, so I hope to pick up the pace of chapters.

Sorry for the cliffhanger too! I just really wanted to get an update out!

Chapter 10

Notes:

CW: Explicit smut - FINALLY (If you enjoy that XD If not, skip to just before the scene break towards the end)

By the time Ominis had finished reverently and patiently divesting her of her outer clothing, Siobhan was practically a puddle of need. His deft fingers had taken their time with every article, savoring the tactile sensations of the velvet, cotton, and, finally, her skin. When her breasts were freed from the confines of her corset, leaving her in only her shift, knickers, and stockings, they had only a moment later been re-enveloped by his large palms.

Ominis breathed out, “Perfect. You were so cruel yesterday to taunt me with these.”

Siobhan’s light laugh deepened into a moan when his grip on her sensitive flesh tightened. She recalled how he had blushed when she carelessly pressed his face against her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it.”

Ominis hummed his acknowledgement. “It was difficult enough to keep my thoughts from running wild, knowing you were near. It was impossible when you pressed yourself against me like that.” His fingers located her nipples over the thin fabric of her shift and pinched them lightly, drawing a soft whine from her. “Although, I suppose you do get a pass due to your ignorance of how much agony you were inflicting on me.”

Siobhan ran her foot up his leg until she could hook it around his lower back and pull his hips back to her. “So merciful. You don’t want to get back at me? Not even a little bit?” she teased.

He smirked. “And how might I do that?” Ominis asked, massaging her soft mounds to draw more gentle sighs from her.

She bit her bottom lip. “A little twiglet told me you had some… creative fantasies.”

Ominis ground down against her with his still frustratingly clothed hips and captured her lips in another heated kiss before releasing them with a groan. “Darling, I’ve had nothing but time to let my mind wander down all sorts of avenues of what I could do if I ever got my hands on you.”

“No time like the present,” Siobhan needled. She remembered the Hogwarts motto, ‘Don’t tickle a sleeping dragon.’ However, she could not quiet her curiosity about what kind of lover Ominis was. She wanted to make his sacrifice and patience worthwhile by giving him enough leeway for this to be everything he could have hoped. She reached down between them to palm his length through his trousers. “Show me what I’ve been missing.”

She knew she should be careful what she wished for, but she was growing desperate to see Ominis completely uninhibited. He groaned at her touch, then yanked her hand away, pinning it above her head.

Her left hand joined her right a moment later, and Ominis laced his fingers through hers. He kissed her again, letting his body rest flush against her. She shuddered at the anticipation of whatever Ominis might be about to unleash on her.

“Stay still,” Ominis instructed her, his voice growing huskier as his own anticipation built. He reached under her shift, hooked the waistband of her knickers with his fingers, drew them down, then carelessly discarded them. “There is something I have wanted to do for quite a while.”

“What’s that?” Siobhan whispered.

Ominis smirked. She melted a little inside at how beautiful he looked. She completely liquified when he said, “I want to make you fall apart with my mouth.”

Siobhan tensed with apprehension. That wasn’t something she was used to receiving. Ominis sensed her shift in body language as he was drawing her shift back over her knees and stilled. “Is that alright?”

Siobhan felt embarrassed but told him the truth. “That’s just a little… unfamiliar territory for me.” She was momentarily glad that Ominis was blind so he could not see how red her cheeks were.

Ominis furrowed his brow, but teasingly lifted her shift higher, stopping to trail his fingers over the tops of her stockings on her thigh. “But you have been cohabiting for the past few years.”

Siobhan rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, let’s just say this specific act would have been a rather infrequent occurrence.”

Ominis bunched the fabric over her hips and leaned down, breathing deeply as he scented her arousal. “That is shameful. More for me, then,” he said before diving in to lick a languid stripe through her slit, eliciting a gasp and causing her to clasp her hands together above her head, remembering that he had asked her to keep them there.

“You can do better than that, darling,” Ominis teased. “I want to hear you sing for me.” He gave another caress of his tongue, tracing an infinity loop around her entrance and the point higher up that made her jolt when he simply neared it.

Siobhan, afraid of losing herself in the sensation of his mouth on her, poked the bear again. “Make me.”

She felt rather than saw the lovely smirk on his lips for only a moment before he began to devour her. Any sense of modesty she might have had left vanished under his tongue’s fervent assault of her walls. She couldn’t have held back the moans he was extracting from her if she wanted to. With every lap and dip of his tongue and with every groan that vibrated against her, Ominis was driving her closer and closer to the edge.

She realized she had unconsciously started grinding her hips into him, chasing the pleasure he was so generously providing her, when she felt his arm clamp her hips down onto the bed. “I said to stay still, you greedy little thing.”

Siobhan whined and felt a fresh surge of heat shoot through her core when she saw Ominis lifting his face up to her with a taunting, self-satisfied expression and her slick coating his lips and chin.

Counter-intuitively to the purpose of getting her to stay still, Ominis then began gingerly inserting one of his dexterous fingers into her opening, pressing it slowly in and out, coaxing her channel to open and accept what he wanted to give her.

Her eyes rolled back when she felt his second finger join and his lips finally close around her most sensitive point. She was a panting mess when he sucked that little bundle of nerves into his mouth, and Ominis did not appear to be any more controlled than she was. She could feel the mattress shifting from his hips rutting down against it of their own accord, desperate for relief from the confines of his trousers as he marveled at how her body eagerly welcomed the intrusion of his fingers.

He slowly worked a third finger in to join the others. Siobhan groaned and felt a surge of impatience as she yearned for something more. “Mmmmm, you are teasing me.”

She saw something dark and hungry flash across his face. “Trust me, darling. You’ll thank me later.”

He continued to drive her closer and closer to the edge with enthusiasm, her moans growing more and more wanton. He released the hold his lips had on her clit with a loud popping sound and grinned. “Do you hear that?” he asked, continuing to work her with his fingers and relishing the sound of how soaking wet she was for him.

She started to answer him shyly, slightly embarrassed by how pliant and receptive her body was to him, but her timid, “Yes,” became a scream when he, with precise timing, curled his fingers inside of her to stroke a specific spot on her walls that shattered her mind and threw her right to the precipice of her climax. Ominis chuckled and returned his mouth to her, tormenting her deliciously. When his teeth lightly caught her clit between them and applied the slightest bit of pressure, Siobhan knew she was seconds from her orgasm. Her breath stilled in her chest, all of the muscles in her body began to tense, her walls started to clamp down, and her hands shot down to tangle her fingers in his hair and –

Siobhan’s orgasm was ripped away from her when Ominis abandoned his work to clasp her wrists in his grasp and rise to bring his face level with hers. She cried out as she felt her climax slip away from her, taking the satisfaction it promised with it. Ominis could not have been more pleased with the frustration in her voice.

“It seems you cannot follow simple instructions,” Ominis taunted again.

She bit her lip to keep from calling him a smug bastard, even though that’s what he was. Siobhan hooked both of her legs around his hips and tried to press her exposed, weeping slit against the prominent tent in his trousers. In response, Ominis pried himself free and flipped Siobhan over onto her stomach.

She was shocked and borderline upset to be denied even that superfluous friction she had been seeking. Ominis pinned her body down with his, teasing her with the very object of her desperation pressed hard against the softness of her backside while he returned her arms above her head. She whined and wiggled her hips, going mad from unfulfilled lust.

“If you cannot behave, I cannot let you cum. That would be rewarding bad behavior.” He tutted, and Siobhan found that she would be willing to do whatever he asked of her, if he would only let her have that perfect climax she had been on the edge of.

“Please, Ominis,” she whined and bucked her hips back into him.

He moaned at her eagerness and rewarded her by turning her back over to give her a soft kiss. “That’s better, darling. Please, what?”

Siobhan stared up at him as he loomed over her, overcome with her desire and love for the man he had become. “Please, fuck me, Ominis.”

His beautiful opalescent eyes rolled back in his head, he fully pressed himself against her, snaking his arms under her to clutch their bodies together, and he kissed her again without any softness. He claimed her mouth, marking it as his and letting her taste the tangy evidence of her desire on his tongue.

After a moment, he pulled back and she felt her all too empty channel clench around nothing at how voracious he looked, like he might actually sink his teeth into her and devour her fully. “Remind me, why do you want me to fuck you , Siobhan?” he asked. She felt the rod that was pressing into her stomach twitch as he said those words.

She smiled. “Because I love you, Ominis.” She had inadvertently admitted it earlier, but hearing her say those exact words set him off.

Ominis ripped her shift completely off of her, fully exposing her body to the cool air. She gasped at the sound of threads tearing.

He could not have cared less as he tossed the tattered garment aside. He would have ripped his belt off too, if he’d had the strength. He settled for hastily undoing it and sliding it from the loops before tossing it in the same direction. His suit jacket and vest quickly followed, but he left his dress shirt on. When he got the fastener of his trousers undone, he pushed them down off his hips with his drawers, just enough to free himself.

Siobhan blanched when she realized what he had meant by ‘you’ll thank me later’. She could tell where all of the cock genes had gone in the Gaunt family. As daunted as she was, she eagerly reached out to wrap her hand around his exceptional girth and start stroking him, savoring the way it felt like velvet sliding over marble in her palm. Ominis couldn’t stop his hips from jutting once into her palm, startled by the shock that ran through his body at the feeling of her delicate hand wrapped around him.

“Mmmmnnnn,” he groaned. “You’re being naughty again, my love.”

Siobhan halted her movements, remembering he never told her she could use her hands again. Ominis leaned back down, kissing her hard and then tracing a path down her neck, chest, up the swell of her breast, and latching onto one of her hardened nipples.

He sucked on it gently while massaging its twin with his other hand. “You make it so hard to care, though, when it feels that good,” he smiled. She returned his until he startled her by biting down on the nipple he had been so gentle with a moment before. The slight sting made her cry out and arch her back.

Ominis licked over the offended nipple. “I’m sure I will remember to care later. I can punish you then, if you’d like.” There was something dangerous in his eyes that thrilled Siobhan. Though he couldn’t see her body, she felt like he was staring straight into her soul, probing and testing how far she would let him go.

She writhed underneath him. The throbbing heat in her core was becoming unbearable. Siobhan leaned up to kiss him, loving how plush his lips were against hers. Even when he kissed her back hard, the force was softened by his delightful lips. “Yes, please!” she gasped when she broke away from the kiss, short on air.

“Whatever you want. I’m yours,” she affirmed.

Ominis let out a low sound that rumbled through his chest, like a wild beast, as he lined himself up against her inviting entrance. “You are now,” he answered right before he plunged himself into her.

Siobhan’s back arched again, and her eyes flew wide open at the sudden, intense intrusion. She cried out, “Ominis, it's too much!”

He let out a breathy, incredulous laugh. Watching his face intently, Siobhan could tell he was as overwhelmed as she was by the way it felt for the two of them to be joined together. “Ohhh, you can take it, love,” Ominis encouraged her. Despite his words, he did retract his hips until only the tip of his rod was left and started giving shallow pumps of his hips to work it more gently back into her. “I did warn you,” he prodded.

Siobhan only answered him with moans as she accustomed herself to him. With every inch he fed into her, Siobhan felt her sanity being driven farther and farther away. Once he was fully seated, she was quite certain he had done irreparable harm to her cognitive function, branding himself into her conscious and subconscious mind. She could not imagine ever getting enough of this delicious sensation of being stretched around Ominis, being full of him.

She thought he might be feeling something similar given that he was paused above her, savoring the feeling of having bottomed out, his mouth slightly agape as he groaned, “ Fuck , Siobhan.”

She reached a hand up to cup his jaw and draw his face back down to her. She kissed him softly, trying to convey her emotions without words, because she couldn’t find any that would adequately cover the scope of them.

He wrapped his arms under her torso, supporting his weight on his elbows while he continued to undulate his hips. He held her close to him so he could feel the bounce of her breasts against his chest with every thrust and kept his face near hers so that his ears did not miss even the smallest sounds of pleasure from her lips.

The steady yet forceful rocking of their bodies was pure bliss. “You’re bloody perfect, you know that?” Ominis breathed out. Siobhan grinned and pressed a kiss just under his ear.

“You should look in a mirror sometime,” she teased.

Ominis shifted to support himself with his hands and gave her a deadpan expression, but mercifully did not stop his thrusts. In fact, he increased the pace, causing Siobhan to let loose a stream of moans as he plunged so deeply into her over and over again.

“I’m sorry, love. Did you try to make a joke? I couldn’t quite hear you,” he jeered.

Siobhan was about to cheekily repeat herself as if he were deaf as well as blind. But, Ominis, no doubt anticipating her smart mouth, suddenly hooked his arms under her knees, bending her nearly in half and attacking her cervix with a brutality that rendered her incapable of speech. She could only scream at the intense pleasure that bordered on delectable pain.

After a few moments of her failing to answer him, Ominis smirked. “That’s what I thought. I did always love your wit… and your fiery spirit. Merlin, it feels so good to actually tell you that.”

Siobhan smiled when he eased up a bit, enough that she was able to form some semblance of a coherent train of thought again. “Mmmm, yes. I suppose now I can tell you that I’ve always thought your eyes are beautiful.”

Ominis flushed, though she was unsure if it was from being flattered, embarrassed, or exerted. “These useless things?” he said self-deprecatingly.

“They are! They look like the moon!” she assured.

He stopped his movements and deadpanned again. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

Siobhan giggled. “Well, maybe not, but know that many a poet has exhausted his thesaurus trying to describe the beauty of the moon.”

Ominis said nothing in response but leaned over and kissed her softly while resuming a slow, steady rocking. Siobhan became a little overwhelmed as Ominis made love to her.

They exchanged no more words for a time as they simply savored the feeling of each other’s bodies, the sound of their shared sighs, and the taste of each other’s lips and skin. Ominis seemed to take special pleasure in leaving love bites all over her neck and breasts. She would not have stopped him for a thousand galleons, becoming addicted to his lips on her body.

Siobhan thought that she could stay here forever, with Ominis pressed against her, his body wrapped around hers like a snake. She told him as much when she felt her climax nearing again, that she could not imagine she would ever be able to go another day without this feeling.

“And you won’t,” Ominis groaned, raising his head from where it had been savoring her neck to press his forehead against hers. “Because you know where you belong now. You’ve always belonged here.”

Siobhan nodded, which might normally go unnoticed by Ominis, but he smiled when he felt her forehead brush against his. He picked up the pace, pouring all of his repressed passion and desire into his movement and driving Siobhan right to the precipice.

“You belong in my arms,” he continued.

“Yes,” she panted, her whole body being rocked as he shifted up, leaning onto his knees and gripping her hips to get better leverage. He didn’t need to be near her mouth anymore to hear the sounds she was making. They were like a beautiful reward for every pump of his hips.

“You belong in my bed,” he said, the snapping of his flesh against hers punctuating every word.

“ Yes .” Siobhan could hardly breathe. He was going to drive her insane. Her head flailed back and forth while her hands scrambled for any part of him that she could reach, settling for gripping his forearms and unintentionally digging her nails into the fabric of his dress shirt as the tension in her body started to reach a breaking point. She placed her legs around his waist and used her dug-in heels to meet his thrusts, which earned a guttural groan from him.

“You belong wrapped around my fucking cock,” Ominis threw his head back in rapture. 

“ YES, Ominis! ” Siobhan fell over the edge, feeling the truth of his words in every spasm and wave of her climax that broke over her body. When she came down from the stars, two moons were still there, anchoring her back on earth and in the moment. As her muscles relaxed, she felt her strength dissipate, and all she could do was lie there like a ragdoll and let Ominis use her body to chase his own ecstasy while she screamed his name. 

She could tell he was getting close when his breath started to come in short gasps interspersed with quiet moans and his movements became desperate. “Siobhan… I… I…”

“I know, Ominis. Cum for me, my love. Give it to me!” she cried.

“Fuck, Siobhan!” His hips stuttered, and he gave a few last sharp thrusts, battering against her cervix, before he made a sound like he had been punched in the gut, and she felt the warmth of his seed spilling inside of her.

It felt like her whole body shared in that heat, brought back to life after years of stasis. She pulled Ominis down to her and kissed him with what little remained of her strength.

“That was amazing,” she gasped out. “Finally!”

“Preaching to the choir, my love,” Ominis smiled against her lips. She felt his breath, heavy and ragged against her cheek, and she brought a hand up to stroke his hair soothingly. Ominis dropped some of his weight and lay on top of her. She found the pressure of his body draped over her quite pleasant and comforting. Siobhan slid her other arm around the back of his shoulders and held him close, not ready for the perfection of this moment to end.

But, end it did, as Ominis insisted on helping her clean herself up. She whined so pitifully when he withdrew himself from her that he couldn’t help but offer her another placating kiss, cradling her face with both of his hands like she was a delicate, precious thing. He left his bed, tucking himself back into his trousers, and disappeared through a doorway after he grabbed what looked like a set of nightclothes from an armoire.

She lay there for a few minutes, finding that she somewhat enjoyed the feeling of his spend leaking out of her. It kept reminding her, sending her mind on a loop of everything that had just occurred. When Ominis returned, wearing what was indeed a set of green nightclothes, he was levitating a potion bottle with his wand. “It’s still hot, but you should be fine to drink it when it cools if you wish.” He let the bottle rest on the nightstand nearest to her. 

She eyed it carefully before recognizing the contraceptive potion. She had a stash at home, but Ominis was apparently not active regularly enough to keep some handy. Or… it occurred to her again that she was not familiar with his personal life. Just because he didn’t have a serious relationship didn’t mean a red-blooded, wealthy, powerful young man did not seek casual relief. Maybe he did keep some handy and had recently run out. He certainly brewed it quickly.

She had only ever been with Sebastian, but Ominis could have had any number of partners if he wished. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to manually shut down her unhealthy overthinking. “Thank you,” she made herself say as Ominis cast a quick Scourgify on the mess between her legs.

“You’re thinking about something, aren’t you?” Ominis asked.

Siobhan jerked her head over to him. “How can you tell?”

He sat on the bed next to her and dipped down for another kiss that was far more gentle than some of their previous ones but still caused her to forget how to breathe momentarily. “It’s in your voice. You sound far away; that’s how I know you’re in your head. Talk to me, darling.”

“I like it when you call me that,” Siobhan smiled.

“I like it when you don’t change the subject and are honest about your feelings,” Ominis countered, and her smile vanished. 

She bit her lip. “I suppose… I suppose you brewing that caused me to wonder about your… romantic history. Made me curious, I guess. I feel like I know your soul but know next to nothing about your life, which is an odd order.”

Ominis nodded solemnly. “Well, as I hope was evident, this was not my first time. Hopelessly romantic as it would have been, I haven’t had the luxury of just sitting around waiting for you. I will say, though, you were the first I was happy about.”

Siobhan sat up, alarmed. “What does that mean?”

Ominis shrugged. “Any other partners I’ve had were out of necessity, or, at least, what my father deemed necessary. To get information, exert pressure, etc. You are not the only woman I have been with, but certainly the only woman I have ever loved.” He mindlessly played with her hair, twirling one soft lock between his fingers as he spoke. 

Siobhan climbed half into his lap, peppering kisses over his face and sighing when he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close again. “I’m so sorry, Ominis. You deserve so much better.”

Ominis smiled. “And I have it, now. That’s all that matters. Where we are now, and where we are going.”

Siobhan gave him another kiss on his beautiful lips. “Very wise of you. I can’t argue with that. So… where are we going?”

Ominis hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I hope we aren’t going anywhere just yet. Forgive my forwardness, but I had rather hoped you would spend the night with me.”

Siobhan smiled. “Your hope is my command.”

“After that, I would offer to let you stay as long as you like. If you insist on finding your own living arrangements, I ask that you consider someplace nearby.”

Siobhan chewed on his offer for a moment. He was clearly offering to let her stay indefinitely. Which would generally be considered barmy for a couple who had only gotten together that night. But they had known each other for years. Still, as she had just remembered, she didn’t know much about his current life. It would probably be smarter to get her own flat. Live on her own for a while. She had never done that.

“If I may add clarification,” Ominis offered. “My primary motivation for my offer is caution. While I am sure you did an admirable job obliviating my brother, you were using a borrowed wand and you were tired, so there is always the possibility that there are breadcrumbs left that he can follow back to us. I still have to inform my sister and mother about that development and hope they agree to go along with it. If things were to go awry again, I can protect you, we can protect each other, much easier together.”

Siobhan made a sound of agreement. He had a point to be concerned about that. “My secondary motivation,” he continued. “Is far more selfish. I will simply go mad without regular access to this,” Ominis brought one of his hands down firmly against Siobhan’s backside, causing her to jolt. “And to this.” He pressed a kiss to her torso, just over her rapidly beating heart. 

Siobhan grinned. “Mmmmm, you are definitely tempting, Mr. Gaunt. Fine, I will compromise, as you mentioned. We really shouldn’t jump into living together, but I will search for something nearby… easy apparating distance.”

Ominis nodded. “Fair enough. That’s settled then. How shall we go about retrieving your things from your flat?”

His question sent a shiver of dread through her. Sebastian would lose his mind if he knew she had given herself to Ominis. Even with their relationship ended, it was not by his choosing, and Sebastian had always been jealous and possessive. She bit her lip. “I should go alone… no… I’ll go with Poppy.”

“Poppy Sweeting?” he asked.

She smiled. “Yes! We are still friends, and she is far fiercer than most people give her credit for. I do not think it would be wise for you to accompany me. Sebastian won’t be able to face us together so soon.”

Ominis nodded. A popping sound of apparation echoed down the hall, and Siobhan dragged an emerald silk sheet over herself and fumbled for her wand. Ominis seemed unbothered. “Fret not, love. The only people who can apparate directly into this place are the Gaunt house elves.”

Siobhan settled, but did not drop her borrowed wand. A tentative knock sounded at the door. “Master Gaunt,” a barely audible voice called. Ominis rose from the bed and crossed the room quickly to answer the door. 

“Ah, Mippy,” he said pleasantly. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Master Gaunt. Mippy is unhurt today. Mippy had to come by and bring this.”

Ominis pushed the door wide enough for Siobhan to see the apprehensive elf, clad in a ragged sackcloth. She stepped into the room, holding a small bag that she opened to reveal… Siobhan’s wand! The young witch jumped up, dragging the sheet with her, and rushed across the room. She reached into the bag and let out a small sob of relief when her fingers closed around the worn, familiar handle. 

She felt a similar sensation to when she found her Ancient Magic again, that of reuniting with an old friend. “Thank you so much, Mippy. How did you… Why did you…?”

Mippy smiled indulgently up at her and Ominis. “Mippy knew where Master Marvolo was keeping it. When Mippy realized Master Marvolo had been obliviated, Mippy knew Master Marvolo would not be unhappy if the wand was returned. Mippy was never instructed to keep the wand within the Manor, and Master Marvolo no longer knew about the wand at all. Why is because… Mippy thinks Miss can make Master Ominis happy again. Master Ominis deserves to be happy again, so Mippy will help however Mippy can. Master Ominis always spoke so fondly of Miss –”

“Thank you, Mippy!” Ominis interrupted, slightly embarrassed but smiling as he went to his knee, bringing him nearer to the elf’s height. “I am truly sorry that my father bequeathed you to Marvolo, that you must continue to serve him. I am grateful for the kindness you have shown me since I was a boy, this act included.”

Mippy smiled, placed the bag to the side, and brought a hand up to his cheek. “The Mistresses Gaunt are aware of what happened as well. Master Ominis may hear from them soon. Take care, Master Ominis. Perhaps Mippy will be lucky enough to see Master Ominis again.”

“Thank you so much!” Siobhan added her own gratitude, clutching the sheet in one hand and her wand in the other.

Mippy smiled at her. "Mippy brought some food as well. Master Ominis and Miss have had a trying day. They should not engage in any more... strenuous activities without nutrition." Mippy winked at Siobhan, who widened her eyes and smiled sheepishly, before snapping her fingers and disappearing.

Ominis gathered the bag and stood. “Shall we to bed, then?” he asked. The slight tremor in his voice was the only indicator of his emotional state at the farewell. Siobhan hugged him tightly before leading him back to bed, casting the sheet over the two of them.

They shared the smuggled fruit, cheese, and crudites, then drifted off to sleep, tangled in each other, and Siobhan felt more content than she had in years.

 

 

---

 

 

When she woke in the morning, she stretched, finding that her muscles were still a bit sore from dueling seriously for the first time in years. She also felt a slight soreness between her legs that was far less unpleasant. It was a reminder of the mindblowingly satisfying evening she had last night, finally being able to share her heart and body with Ominis… Ominis! Siobhan opened her eyes, still bleary from sleep, and fumbled around, feeling for his body.

When her vision cleared, Siobhan realized that Ominis was not in bed. She stood, gathering the top sheet loosely around herself again. She slipped through the door to the loo after knocking lightly. Not finding him there, Siobhan dipped out into the hallway. She peeked through the other two bedrooms, nothing. 

She recalled her first morning with Ominis in the Keenbridge cottage, when she had woken to him cooking breakfast for her, and presumed this morning might be similar. Although she was resolute in her desire to live on her own for a while, the idea of waking up every morning to breakfast with Ominis was infinitely tempting.

She felt giddy at the prospect of their future. She practically floated down the hallway, lighter than air with all of the fluttery, romantic notions in her head. As she rounded the top of the stairs, she heard Ominis speaking, his voice low and unintelligible. She started taking the first few steps, noting the way his bedsheet fluttered around her, which made her smile.

Then, she noticed Ominis at the front door, his back to her. He was speaking to someone on the other side. An associate of his? “Ominis, love, who’s at the door?” she called out brightly. She saw his shoulders stiffen.

All of that brightness went out of her when she saw Ominis physically shoved to the side, and the guest, the intruder, stepped around him to face her with wide, wild chocolate eyes. “Sebastian.” The word took all of the breath in her lungs with it.

 

Notes:

Gotta love a cliffhanger XD

Chapter 11

Siobhan had only seen that expression on Sebastian’s face once before, when his twin cut him out of her life and left him in the Feldcroft Catacombs. As much as she wanted to be unbothered by it, she was shaken by the pure hurt on his face when he took in the sight of her in Ominis’s house, clad in only a bedsheet. He rushed the stairs, taking them two at a time, and was upon her in seconds before she had the chance to retreat to the bedroom and make herself decent.

Ominis was on his tail, trying to snag him and calling him back, but Sebastian reached her and tried to rip the sheet off her. She kept her grip on it, but he managed to expose enough of her chest that he got a full view of the marks Ominis had left scattered over her neck and breasts.

The pain in Sebastian’s face gave way to fury. He released the sheet then turned to where Ominis had planted a firm grip on his shoulder and was trying to force him down the stairs, away from Siobhan.

“Well done, mate,” Sebastian muttered before slugging Ominis in the face, sending him careening down the stairs. Siobhan’s scream was cut off when Sebastian drew his wand and pressed it harshly into her windpipe. “You shut your mouth. I’ll deal with you after.” His other hand was yanking her hair. He leaned in and inhaled, then snarled and threw her to the ground of the top landing. “You reek of him! ”

Siobhan didn’t want to find out what Sebastian had in mind for either of them, but he was already striding down the stairs towards Ominis, who was pushing himself to his feet with a groan, wand already out and held towards Sebastian. When he steadied himself, he apparated to put himself back between Sebastian and Siobhan.

Sebastian looked back up at them when he heard the popping sound near her. He watched Ominis help her to her feet and laughed mirthlessly. “Adorable,” Sebastian mocked. “You get one pity fuck from her and turn into her evil little lap dog.”

Siobhan felt Ominis tense at Sebastian’s insinuation that Siobhan had only shared his bed out of some sense of gratitude, but she gripped his hand tightly in hers to reassure him that was untrue. Sebastian sneered. “Typical Gaunt, no one ever taught you not to touch what doesn’t belong to you.”

Ominis groaned in exasperation. “She doesn’t belong to you, Sebastian!” he shouted.

“Oh, and I suppose you think you have some claim to her?! You had no bloody right to lay a single pasty hand on her!”

“I get to decide who does and doesn’t have that right!” Siobhan interrupted. “I don’t know why you’re acting like some aggrieved party here. You and I were done. Our relationship had been dying for over a year. Our fight in the flat was just the final nail in the coffin.”

“Well, you sure had a hell of a time at the wake,” Sebastian lashed out. Siobhan flinched. Ominis sensed her discomfort and stood beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and shoulders to support her. His touch excited her slightly, their passion from last night still remembered vividly, and she closed her eyes to try and ground herself in the present moment.

When she opened them, she was dismayed to see Sebastian breathing like a bull about to charge. He had taught her everything she knew about passion until last night, and he easily recognized her reaction to Ominis’s touch for what it was.

“Sebastian,” Siobhan held up a hand placatingly. “I understand you’re hurt, but please believe that this is not why I left. Neither of us had acknowledged our feelings to each other until last night.”

He stepped back down to the entranceway, putting space between them. “Your feelings. Of course.”

“Please, Sebastian. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I love him!” Siobhan confessed. Ominis wrapped his one arm tighter around her waist, but dropped his arm from around her shoulder to have full use of his wand.

Sebastian was pacing now, muttering and carding his hands through his messy hair. “You love him. Of-bloody-course you do. You love him. He loves you. I can go jump in the Thames for all the good my love does. Good for you two. True love, finally reunited. Of course, you’d throw years of love with me down the drain because you and Ominis are meant to be. You know each other so well. Oh… wait!” Sebastian gestured toward them with his wand erratically. “Do you, though? I’m sure he has told you about the multiple occasions he has cast the Cruciatus Curse on me!”

Siobhan froze and looked up at Ominis. His jaw was clenched, and he was pointing his wand at Sebastian. “Watch it, Sebastian. Walk away… now,” Ominis threatened. 

“Why? Without Siobhan, I have quite literally nothing to lose, mate. Why should I protect your secrets when mine were apparently such a problem for her? I’m sure, since you’re building your budding new relationship on a foundation of honesty, because you’re better than me, you’ve told her all about Violetta!”

Siobhan felt ill. She looked back up at Ominis, who had closed his eyes and was rolling his neck. “Ominis?” she whispered.

“Siobhan –” he started to answer before Sebastian carried on, laughing. 

“I’m sure that since she had such an issue with me lying about what I was doing, you would never lie to her about who you were doing! You certainly wouldn’t take Siobhan into your bed, wouldn’t FUCK HER, while engaged to another woman.” Sebastian was manic, teetering between amused and enraged as he screamed up at them, his clenched fists shaking in front of him. He turned and started blasting pieces of furniture and the walls with his wand. Siobhan flinched at each impact.

“She at least had the decency to cut me loose before hopping into the sack with you. Did you give them the same courtesy?” Sebastian challenged more quietly once he had worked some of his anger out.

Ominis’ tense silence was killing her. She was waiting desperately for him to contradict Sebastian, to call him a liar, but he did not try to deny it; he just stood there, clutching her. She couldn’t look at him. Siobhan forcefully unwrapped his arm from around her waist and stepped away from him, closer to the wall.

This seemed to unfreeze him, as he instantly closed the distance she had tried to put between them. She held a hand out to keep him away. She didn’t trust herself not to melt into his embrace and accept whatever half-assed explanation or apology he might offer.

Sebastian took her reaction as his cue to press his advantage, bounding up the steps while Ominis said her name in that soothing tone of his and ran his hand up her arm.

With one arm keeping Ominis at bay and the other holding up her sheet, she was unable to stop Sebastian from invading her personal space. “Please, Siobhan. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.” He caught her gaze with his and pulled her in with his molten chocolate warmth. “I know you thought he was someone different, and he fooled you. I understand how difficult these last few days have been for you. I’m not giving up on us.”

Siobhan scoffed at the absurd notion that all of this was just something they could sweep under the rug and move on from. She gestured to her current state, watching his eyes darken with murderous intent upon reviewing the evidence of Ominis’ touch stark against her pale skin, to emphasize her point.

He met her eyes again. “I can forgive you. Like I said, I can accept that you went a little mad after everything you’ve been through this week. I mean, not really forgive. I want to throttle you right now. But if you come home, I’ll let you obliviate me to forget I saw any of this. If I don’t have to know about this, think about it, we can pick right up where we left off. Bhan-bhan, please. I’ll quit working for his family. I’ll get a boring, good-paying job at the ministry. I’ll finally give you this.” Sebastian choked up as he pulled a ring box from his pocket.

Siobhan gasped. She did look to Ominis then and was terrified by his expression. She truly believed he might be about to murder Sebastian.

She pushed her way through the two men, taking off down the hall and slamming one of the guest room doors behind her. “Siobhan, please!” She heard Sebastian on the other side of the door. “I want a life with you. It’s the only life I want. Ominis has already planned his life out with someone else.”

Siobhan couldn’t breathe. Why hadn’t Ominis said anything? He didn’t try to deny or explain anything. He just stood there. She tossed the sheet aside, looking down at herself with disgust, then jolted with surprise when Ominis apparated into the room and quickly cast Colloportus on the door, followed by a quick series of wards.

His stormy demeanor scared her. She felt her pulse quicken and adrenaline start to rush in her veins. Ominis turned to her, and she bit her lip, reflexively covering as much of her body as she could and cursing herself for leaving her wand in his room, for not having bothered to request to borrow any clothes last night. Her fight or flight was kicking in until Ominis slumped down into a chair and held his head in his hands, dropping his wand to the ground.

Her fear of him defused, and she was left with only her hurt and confusion. Still, she refused to speak first. 

“The door is only warded one way. I just needed to keep Sebastian out while I explain myself to you,” Ominis whispered. He groaned and dug in his pocket, fishing out a stack of letters, some opened and some not, and held them in her general direction. 

She did not step forward but stared at them dumbly. “What are those?” she asked after a few moments.

Ominis dropped his arm, resting his elbow on his knee and sitting back against the back of the chair, rubbing his face before letting out a groan. “Letters. From Violetta.”

Siobhan sank to the ground. She started to feel a numbness spreading through her. It was true.

“I am so… so… so unbelievably sorry that you had to find out from him like that. I was planning to tell you when you came down for breakfast this morning. I should have told you last night, before, but it was all so unexpected, it wasn’t like I brought you here premeditating. It just happened, and I got carried away enjoying the best thing that has ever happened to me. I hardly ever think about her on a normal day. She couldn’t have been further from my mind when I was with you.”

“You could have told me,” Siobhan whispered. “You should have told me. I can’t believe you made me the other woman…”

Ominis stood from his chair and crossed the floor to her quickly. She shrank away from him when he brought up a hand to try to caress her tear-stained cheek, which visibly pained him. “That’s just it, Siobhan. You are not the other woman. You are the only woman. You always have been, and you always will be. That’s why I dug out these letters. Months and months of that detestable woman trying to get me to answer her, meet her, anything, trying to shame me for not being an eager participant in the betrothal, making threats. I wanted you to have the option to read them yourself if you did not believe me that I never gave her any indication that I was interested in her.” He dropped the stack of letters. Siobhan allowed Ominis to take one of her hands in his and hold it against his chest so she could feel the beating of his heart. “My parents made the arrangement, but she means nothing to me. You mean… everything! ” 

Siobhan sniffed. She believed him; he seemed sincere, but she was still reeling from everything. She needed space to think. She squeezed his hands, then pulled away. “And why couldn’t you have said this in front of Sebastian? Why not shut him down? Why let me stew in this uncertainty and distress?”

Ominis picked the letters up again. “Because Sebastian specifically can never see these letters.”

Siobhan lifted an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Ominis sat back on his heels and felt through the pile before he pulled out one of the opened letters, the only one that was significantly creased and looked like it had been read many times. “Because of this letter. In her vile scheming, she dug into my past associations, which surely did not take her very long. There have been two significant women in my life, of no familial relation, and she ironically honed in on the wrong one to feel threatened by. She informed me that she knows where Anne Sallow is.”

Notes:

*GASP*

Chapter 12

Notes:

Hello again!
I just wanted to start by thanking y'all for all the kudos and comments! They are incredibly encouraging, and I appreciate them so much!

Ominis was livid. He finally got the chance to truly be with Siobhan, to be honest with her about how, through all his years of misery, she was his source of hope. Every day he had to put on a mask and bend to his family’s will, every day he had allowed himself to sink further into the poisonous intoxication of Dark Magic, he had held onto the vague hope that, one day, he might find her again. He had even sometimes imagined that day to be at her and Sebastian’s wedding, if the scoundrel ever had the stones to propose to her.

As horrifying as that day would be, it would only be confirmation of what he already knew, that Siobhan would never be his. Still, he had imagined the pain would be dulled by how surreal it would be to be in her presence again, to hear her voice, her laughter, and to be near her when she was happy.

He could have made himself stomach her sharing her life with Sebastian, if that was what made her happy. After all, their happiness is precisely what he sacrificed his soul for. Being near her again now reminded him of the boy he used to be, someone with convictions that Ominis had abandoned long ago. She made him want to be that kind of person again, to be a man she would be proud of, but he could still hear the sadistic whispers of Dark Magic gnawing at the corners of his mind.

When she said she understood what he had done, who he was now, and did not judge him, he found that naïve. She could say that, but he had been on his best behavior, certain that, if she were a Legillimens and looked into his mind, she would go running for the hills.

Dueling Marvolo in the depths of the manor, while he had dipped his toe into the Dark Arts, what Ominis had truly wanted to do was Imperio his brother to castrate himself and then torture him while he lay in a pool of his own blood until Ominis got bored of his screams and finished him off with the killing curse. That would have started to assuage the bloodlust he felt whenever he remembered what Marvolo had put Siobhan through.

Siobhan had been traumatized enough by this experience, though, so he restrained himself, and Marvolo almost won because of it. Even now, Sebastian had almost ruined everything because Ominis restrained his natural impulse to cut his tongue out before he could try and convince Siobhan to go back to him.

During the whole confrontation, Ominis was in agony, cursing his sightless eyes. He couldn’t think of anything to say because he was fixated on listening for any indication that Sebastian’s words were swaying her. Every gasp and hitch in her breathing was painfully replayed and analyzed. Sebastian had always been blessed with a way with words and could talk his way out of almost any trouble, could charm anyone into believing that he was sincere.

The thought that her former lover, someone he once thought of as a brother, might be able to talk his way back into her arms filled him with more than one shameful impulse. Ominis, despite having earnestly rebuilt a tentative friendship with Sebastian since he came into his father’s employ, wanted to silence him, wanted to hurt him. He felt the sick urge to rip the sheet Siobhan was clutching from her and show Sebastian exactly how well her body responded to his touch, to leave no doubt that she was his now.

He knew that would be horrible, especially for Siobhan, but the desire to eliminate Sebastian as a rival was nearly overpowering. When she had stood beside him and confidently told Sebastian that she loved Ominis, it had done wonders to tame his wilder, more vengeful fantasies. But when Sebastian took advantage of his restraint and hurt Siobhan, made her think that Ominis would ever try to make her share his heart with someone like Violetta Carrow, he truly began planning his murder.

It was ridiculous. On paper, he was promised to that harpy, but he had signed his body and his soul, however blackened it might be, over to Siobhan when he was fifteen. Even if Violetta wasn’t a vindictive, pure blood supremacy fanatic, she would not compare to Siobhan for him; no woman ever had. Even under his father’s thumb, when he seduced women to give his father leverage over their fathers, he gifted them Siobhan’s favorite perfume before bedding them. As often as he resented his lack of sight through the years, it did have one benefit. As long as the woman smelled like Siobhan, and he was able to convince her to let him put a gag on her, he could much more easily pretend it was Siobhan he was with.

Pretending only took you so far, though. Now that he had experienced truly being with her, he would do anything to keep her from being taken away from him again, and there Sebastian was, trying to do just that.

Ominis stepped out of his guest room, giving Siobhan space to refresh herself and put on the rough dress he had transfigured from the sheet. She had also requested space to gather her thoughts. Ominis had managed to do enough damage control that she seemed to believe his side of the story. If he hadn’t been in the middle of preparing to tell her about Violetta when Sebastian arrived, and hadn’t shoved the stack of letters into his pocket rather than returning them to the drawer when he heard the frantic knocking on his door, his story would have sounded far less credible. He attributed it to pure luck that Siobhan had believed him and stopped crying.

Still, she asked him to give her space. She was hurt, and as he stepped out into the hallway, his wand picked up the presence of the man he deemed responsible for the severity of that hurt sitting slumped against the wall across from the door. Ominis should have told her before bedding her. The moment was just so perfect, though. He didn’t want to sully how purely happy they were by bringing her up. As calculating and opportunistic as Violetta was, he believed the most likely outcome when he told her that he was cutting ties with the Gaunt family would be her calling the engagement off herself. She didn’t have any specific bond to Ominis; she just wanted the prestige of the Gaunt family. In his mind, it really was barely worth mentioning, but that didn’t mean Siobhan wouldn’t have wanted him to. 

He was preparing himself for her to be upset by the news. That’s why he was gathering the letters, to give her the full picture and security, to prove that he meant it last night when he promised to give himself wholly to her. She probably would have been upset, but Sebastian saw to it that she was devastated. It was only for a few minutes, but he put her in a position to doubt his sincerity. Ominis lowered his head to glower in Sebastian’s direction. “Nice try, Sebastian. Now, get out of my house.”

“All’s fair in love and war, mate,” Sebastian threw his hands up in a loose shrug. 

“That’s a cute saying, but I gave you your unobstructed shot to make her happy, with no interference from me, and you failed entirely on your own.”

“I’m sure you’d agree that was much easier to do when you thought she didn’t see you that way and you didn’t know what it was like to be loved by her,” Sebastian sounded exhausted. “I genuinely don’t know what I’ll do without her. I’ve been all over, Poppy’s, Natty’s, her father’s house, her job at the Ministry, Hogsmeade, looking everywhere she might be. This was my last stop, because this was the last place I wanted to find her.”

Ominis grimaced. “I do understand what you are saying, Sebastian. As painful as it was to lose her after fifth year, it would be infinitely moreso now. Which is why you surely understand I have no intention of standing aside while you try to grovel your way back into her heart.” He crouched by Sebastian’s side, brought his face close, and lowered his voice. “If you were anyone else, you would already be dead for that stunt you pulled. Last night, she offered her heart to me, and I intend to protect it. I will not repeat your mistakes. The only way you will remove me from her side… is if you kill me.”

Ominis traced his wand up to Sebastian’s cheek. “Do you think you can do that? Can you kill me? If not, then walk… away.”

Sebastian let out a long breath. “I can promise not to do something like this again, but I’ve never been good at giving up. And, as we established, she didn’t know exactly what she was signing up for. She doesn’t know you now like I do, no matter what she thinks. When you can’t keep the mask up anymore and she runs the other direction, I’ll be waiting.”

Ominis wrestled with himself. The idea of Sebastian waiting like a vulture to pick the bones of his relationship with Siobhan if he stumbled was far from appealing. He could hear his father’s voice in the back of his mind, reminding him that obstacles should be removed, that his path would be clearer if he just got rid of him, but she would never forgive him for that. He had stopped trying to forgive himself years ago, just accepted the rot that had been planted in his soul, but Siobhan still had hope for him, and the idea of disappointing her, of causing her any more pain, was something he couldn’t accept. Even beyond thinking about what Siobhan would want, Ominis felt that killing Sebastian would be like killing part of whatever good was left in him. 

“I can live with that,” he muttered. “I will send you an owl when Siobhan plans to come by your flat to retrieve her belongings. I don’t want you to be anywhere nearby at that time.”

“I understand,” Sebastian answered blankly.

Ominis tilted his head. “You understand or you agree?”

He could practically hear Sebastian rolling his eyes. “Fine, I won’t try to stop her this time.”

“This time?” Ominis asked. He remembered what Siobhan had mentioned about how she and Sebastian parted ways.

“Yeah, tried to stop her the other night. She kicked my splinch open,” Sebastian answered.

Ominis smirked and stood. That’s my girl, he thought to himself, but then his smirk disappeared. He couldn’t exactly take it for granted that she was still his girl. If he wasn’t able to make things right with her, their love would have bloomed for less than a day. That would be fitting for the life Ominis had led, allowing the barest taste of bliss before it was ripped out of his grasp forever. He had meant what he told her last night, he couldn’t bear to lose her again. He would never resort to measures as drastic as the Imperius Curse or Amortentia to keep her in his life, but he wouldn’t be able to accept the loss.

He would do whatever she asked of him if the fantasy they indulged in last night could be their reality.

“Get out,” Ominis reiterated.

“Can I say goodbye to her?” Sebastian pressed.

“What do you think?” Ominis hissed.

Sebastian stood and made his way down the stairs. Ominis heard him smash a few things on his way out, failing to repress his frustration and disappointment. When he heard the front door slam shut, hard enough to shatter the glass, Ominis breathed a sigh of relief. Sebastian was handled, now he could focus on Siobhan.

He stepped back to the guest room, knocking lightly on the door. He heard Siobhan’s voice grant him entry. She sounded far away again. Ominis braced himself for a difficult conversation. When he entered, his wand made him aware that she was sitting on the floor, surrounded by Violetta’s previously opened letters. She had placed the unopened ones in a stack. His gut tightened in apprehension.

“Siobhan,” Ominis shifted his weight nervously. “Is there anything I can say, any question I could answer, that would help you feel less in the dark?”

Siobhan didn’t answer him for a moment, just dropped the letter she was reading. She pointed to it. “This bitch is insane,” Siobhan stated.

Ominis couldn’t contain a small smile that barely showed his teeth. “Undoubtedly. Rather unpleasant, aren’t they?”

Siobhan turned back to the pile and grabbed another. “I have never seen a more entitled, self-important brat in all my life, and that is including Sacharissa Tugwood.”

Ominis flinched at that mention. “Ominis,” Siobhan said cautiously. “Why did you just flinch?”

He took a deep breath. She deserves full honesty. “If I admit there is a manner of history there, would you prefer I leave it at that, or would you want to know more?”

“Noooo!” Siobhan gasped. “You and Sacharissa?!” Her voice sounded only vaguely judgmental.

“In my defence,” Ominis raised a finger. “I was under orders.”

Siobhan shifted uncomfortably and patted the ground across from her. Not next to her, he noted. Still in the doghouse then. Fair enough. I doubt this revelation will help my case.

“You mentioned that briefly last night. Can you tell me the full story?” Siobhan’s voice trembled.

Ominis sat and sagged his shoulders. “The politics between pureblood families are… positively Machiavellian, not that any of them would deign to study his works. They are also very traditional as far as the wizarding community goes, rather closer to the Muggle mindset in that the virginity of a pureblooded witch is incredibly valuable. When the exact pedigree of your family is all you base your status on, it literally pays to be able to be certain of paternity. Thus, in my father’s efforts to undermine the Tugwood family, questionably pure upstarts as he named them, he instructed me to attempt to get close to Sacharissa. Much to my displeasure and shame, I succeeded.”

Siobhan was silent. Ominis left room for her to tell him to stop before he went on and gave her more information than she wanted to hear. When she simply placed the letter in her hand back on the floor, he carried on. “This was only a short time before Sebastian came knocking at the Manor’s doors. I actually did very little in the way of actively trying to woo her. I simply attended a salon where I knew she would be, and she latched onto me. Part of me felt sorry for her, but another part of me resented her. She was fairly transparent that she viewed me as a charity case, the poor blind boy who surely had never felt the touch of a woman. She said it was unfortunate that I was so beautiful yet unable to see beauty, but that she had always valued aesthetic over function anyway. That made it simultaneously easier and more difficult to go through with it.  When it was all over, she congratulated me most condescendingly. Turns out she was not even a virgin. She lied to me to supposedly make me feel more comfortable, so we needn’t have bothered with the whole affair. When I reported as much to my father, he simply shrugged and said it was irrelevant; he needed to be sure so that his ally, who was trying to arrange a marriage for his son to her, would be able to demand a much higher dowry.”

Siobhan was chewing her lip, visibly uncomfortable. “Was… was it…?”

"Awful? Certainly.” She refused to wear the perfume he gave her and was adamant about chatting the entire duration, ostensibly to give ‘constructive criticism’ of his performance, which he could admit was lackluster, given his state of mind at the time. He'd had to delve into some truly filthy fantasies about Siobhan to reach his climax. The shame he'd felt in the aftermath crept back into his mind.

Siobhan breathed heavily. “Anyone else I know?”

Ominis shook his head. “Not as far as I am aware.”

“And your father demanded this of you regularly?!”

He shook his head again. “Not regularly, no. It wasn’t exactly a method he wanted people to catch wind of. I was a perfect secret weapon. He'd tried it with Marvolo, but for some unidentifiable reason, Marvolo always put women on guard. My father commented that my blindness finally had a use. It made me seem less threatening, made it easier to avoid the suspicion of parents and chaperones.”

Siobhan placed a sympathetic hand on his, trembling slightly. “I’m so sorry. That is truly horrible. I can't believe a parent would make their own child do things like that, use them in that way, but I suppose your parents weren't remotely normal.”

“Yes, there are far more complex skeletons in the closets of pureblood society than Unforgivable Curses.”

Siobhan tensed. “Speaking of… curses. What Sebastian said about the Cruciatus…”

Ominis nodded. “That was true. I have cursed him on more than one occasion.” He winced at her gasp.

“When? Why?!”

He clenched his jaw. “Father expected me to have a firm hand in my responsibilities. Sebastian has always had a disregard for rules and authority. That was occasionally at odds with my father’s expectations. The first time was far easier than it should have been. It was upon his return from the hunt in India. He took far longer than he was authorized to, yet was still demanding increased pay. I was about to enter the office to deal with him when I overheard him talking to some of the other Curse-Breakers. I was just on the other side of the door and could hear him bragging… about your… talents in the bedroom… on your knees. I already knew my father expected me not to spare the rod, but I will admit that overhearing that made it very easy to find a source of intent for Crucio. I was aware you were living together, but I had yet to experience the reality of it being shoved in my face.”

Siobhan was clearly angry. As much pleasure as he thought he might have derived from furthering Sebastian’s fall from her graces, he did not relish being the one to elicit the humiliation she probably felt. But Ominis was laying everything out on the table for her to make a completely informed decision about him. 

“Well,” Siobhan sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me at this point. I’m not… angry per se about this Violetta situation. I’m sure I wouldn’t feel as deeply hurt as I do if you’d told me before Sebastian did. I do believe that she is awful and you never wanted to marry her, but this is something we have to deal with before we can consider really being together.”

Consider, she said. So, she was doubting. He could deal with doubt. As long as she wasn’t shutting him out completely, he was still able to earn her affection. 

“So, list of things we have to deal with, ensuring Marvolo doesn’t relearn of your existence. You have to confirm with your mother and sister, anything else?” Siobhan asked, deciding to focus on pragmatism over her conflicted emotions. She had time to figure out their relationship, but they were on a clock to tie up loose ends.

Ominis pondered that. “Well, I would say that cutting Violetta off would also be a priority for that. It is possible she would expose me if left in the dark. We have to get ahold of and alter my father’s will and family genealogy records, and I have to close my account at Gringotts. After that is all done, it is always possible that some associate or acquaintance could mention me, but there would no longer be anything solid to prove my existence, so it would be their word against Marvolo’s memory with no other evidence.”

“And what about Anne?” Siobhan asked tentatively.

Ominis fiddled with his wand. “Ah, yes. As I briefly mentioned, Violetta tracked her down. Anne did a good job of covering her tracks, but it turns out that Anne had gone to Bath for her convalescence. There, she’d run into none other than Grace Pinch-Smedly, who is acquainted with Violetta. When she started asking around about Anne, Grace happily pointed her in Anne’s direction.”

Siobhan shifted. “Did she get to her?” she asked anxiously.

Ominis shook his head. “Violetta made a point of letting me know she knew where she was, but was careless enough to reveal it to me. Since she was assuming Anne was the chief occupant of my heart and the source of my reluctance to marry her, she also assumed I was aware of her location and did not bother to conceal it from me when I confronted her.”

Siobhan snorted. “How fortuitous.”

“She made it clear that she would hurt Anne if I did anything else to delay our nuptials. I was able to track her down, though. She was hesitant to trust me, but I was able to convince her to relocate.”

“Where did you send her?” Siobhan asked.

Ominis smirked. “I called in a favor with a far less detestable pureblood family.”

Siobhan quirked a brow. “And who would that be?”

Ominis stood, stretching a hand down to help Siobhan to her feet. She took it tentatively. She cursed internally when she felt the warmth of his palm against her fingers. She knew she should keep him at a distance for what he had done, but it was so difficult when all she wanted to do was melt into him and have an encore of last night's performance.

Ominis sighed and slowly reached a hand out to cup her face, pausing with his fingers an inch from her skin. When she didn't stop him, he held her gently, his thumb swiping up featherlight against her cheek. “Would you prefer to see for yourself?”

Notes:

Sebastian can't catch a break, but you reap what you sow XD maybe I should add Sebastian slander to the tags lol he really doesn't come out of this story looking all that great!

Chapter 13

Summary:

Siobhan gets some much-needed perspective and a wonderful surprise.

Siobhan parted ways with Ominis for a few hours to return to her flat and gather her things. She did not reach out to Poppy first, as Ominis promised her that Sebastian would not be there and time was of the essence to get all of their loose ends sorred. She believed Ominis when he said Sebastian would not be waiting to ambush her, but was hesitant to ask how he knew that for sure.

She wrote an update to her supervisor at the Ministry, as well as letters to her father, Poppy, and Natty apologizing for her absence and promising a more thorough explanation upon her return.

The whole time she was packing, she chewed over her feelings. The gut punch she had felt when Sebastian had revealed Violetta’s existence was still raw but had dulled. It wasn’t like Ominis was in a relationship. If one person makes it clear they don’t want to be with the other, there is no relationship. To assume otherwise would, by the same logic, mean that she was still in a relationship with Sebastian, which obviously wasn’t true.

The biggest difference was the contract. Ominis was contractually obligated to the woman. Until that was handled, she just felt uneasy. It was a grey area, but she didn’t want to be in a grey area. She reminded herself that she deserved better than that. And there was the fact that he had omitted it. The reason she left Sebastian was that she couldn’t trust him and that he was selfish. Was this any different? What if she just fell back into the same patterns that she’d been stuck in with Sebastian?

By the time she’d changed and packed, Siobhan had thought herself into knots with very little progress. She stood outside of her… Sebastian’s building. She took a deep breath and apparated to Ominis’s house. It was almost noon as she knocked on his front door.

Ominis opened the door quickly, and Siobhan bit her lip. He had changed into a light grey three-piece suit that made him almost irresistible. She wanted to push him back through his front door and —Siobhan stopped herself from following that train of thought and settled for hugging him. Ominis exhaled deeply and held her cautiously.

She hated this. She knew it wasn’t really her fault that there was an awkward distance between them now. She wasn’t the one who had hidden things, but she felt like it was her fault anyway. She wasn’t allowing herself to be with him the way she wanted to, and he was holding back to avoid making her uncomfortable.

She wished she could go back to last night, when everything had been perfect and less complicated.

“Shall we?” Ominis asked.

“Yes, if I could just drop my bag inside first?” she answered.

“Of course.” Ominis released her and turned to allow her through the doorway. Siobhan slid past him and felt him stiffen when she brushed against him. She felt the fires from last night’s passion rekindling. She placed her bag at the base of the stairs and turned back to the door but had to stop and brace herself against a thin table in the entryway. Why did Ominis have to be so bloody gorgeous?

He was just standing there patiently waiting for her, the back of his head resting against the open door. She saw the emotions warring on his face that she was sure were similar to her own. Siobhan turned away from him to look at herself in the mirror on the wall above the table. Her eyes were dilated, and her cheeks were flushed. Get ahold of yourself. You can’t just fall back into his arms after being near him for two seconds, she chided herself.

Yes, Ominis was handsome, caring, and a passionate lover who could play her heart and body like a harp, as the marks all over her had kept reminding her while she was changing in her flat. She could control herself, though. It would be wrong to be with him knowing he was engaged, wouldn’t it? He was engaged to a psychotic, social-climbing, elitist whom he despised, but still.

Siobhan groaned in frustration. Ominis was behind her in a moment, placing his hand on her shoulder, which only exacerbated her problem. The lightest touch from him was sending her spiraling. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly. Siobhan just laughed wryly. “Please. Tell me how I can help?” His hand hesitated for a moment before he brought it up to cup her chin and turned her face to look at him over her shoulder.

He was touching her so gently and hesitantly. She didn’t want it to be like that. She wanted the Ominis from last night who pinned her to the mattress with his body and claimed her as his own. “This,” she answered through clenched teeth.

Ominis froze but did not move away. “This?”

Siobhan groaned again, not knowing if she should say what she was really thinking. She gasped when she felt Ominis stiffen against her in one very specific place. Ominis cursed under his breath and quickly started to withdraw. She saw his face beet red in the mirror. Siobhan acted on instinct, reaching behind her to grab the fabric of his trousers and pull him back to her.

She pressed herself against the temptation that was Ominis, her body singing for more when he wrapped his arms tightly over her waist, pressed his hips forward, and curled down around her to bring his lips to her neck. “Darling,” Ominis breathed out.

Siobhan knew that there were many reasons to pull herself away from Ominis at this moment, but none of them seemed to matter when she could feel all of the planes of his body against hers. His lips danced over the skin at the base of her neck, and Siobhan sighed in relief.

Ominis spun her around and lifted her up onto the small table, not caring a bit for the tchotchkes that decorated it. He brushed the small hairs out of her face with both hands and held her while he kissed her lips. Siobhan returned his passion and hooked her fingers through his belt loops to pull him to her again. She spread her legs, causing her skirt to shift up past her knees, and welcomed him between them, moaning and gasping when she felt his solid cock pressing against her core despite the layers of fabric between them. Ominis wasted no time beginning to pump his hips to rub his tantalizing and intimidating length against her. His hands cupped her rear and used the leverage to remind her exactly what she had so thoroughly enjoyed last night.

Siobhan broke their kiss and breathed out, “This… this is how it should be, not that before.”

Ominis nodded and latched onto her exposed clavicle, nibbling the skin there before biting just beneath her ear with more force. Siobhan shuddered and moaned. “But?” Ominis prodded, certain there was more she wanted to, or knew she should, say.

She sighed again. “But… there is a reason it was like that.” Siobhan hated the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. And as soon as they were, Ominis retreated, taking his warmth away from her and pacing to the other end of the entryway. He rested his head against the wall and thumped it lightly a few times, trying to regain control of his urges.

Siobhan was left to hop down and gather her own while she set her appearance right again in the mirror. She wanted nothing else but for him to take her on every surface in this house, then go to his cottage and christen that place as well, but a little part of her was pleased that she had held firm. It told her she should be proud of herself for maintaining her earlier decision not to be in the grey area. A much larger part of herself was beating that smaller part with a mallet.

“I’m sorry,” Ominis whispered. Siobhan went to him and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. He turned and embraced her tightly. Siobhan clung to him. Ominis pulled back enough to place his forehead gently against hers. His blind eyes flicked back and forth, searching for hers even though they would not find them. “I’ll wait. Whatever you need, however long you need. I’m yours in whatever way you’ll have me.”

“You don’t mind?” Siobhan said.

Ominis shook his head faintly. “Of course not. My love for you is not fragile. Whatever it takes.”

Siobhan kissed his cheek briefly. “Thank you. I do still love you. I just…”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, love,” Ominis said. His shoulders relaxed a little at her declaration. He breathed deeply then exhaled. “Shall we?”

Siobhan followed him out the door and wondered again about where he had hidden Anne. He mentioned a tolerable pureblood family, but Ominis had dealt with many she was unfamiliar with. He offered his elbow out to her, and she threaded her arm through to rest her hand on his.

She felt the tugging of apparation and opened her eyes to find herself in a field. Ominis turned them around, holding his wand aloft as he started guiding them toward a wooden house. It was quite large, and the telltale signs of expansion charms were visible on many portions of the house. Siobhan looked at Ominis in confusion. She had never been here, but he looked like he was trying to conceal a smile. “Ominis, where are we?”

Her question was answered when the front door of the house slammed open and a red-headed golden retriever named Garreth Weasley came bounding over to them with a wide grin. “What?!” Siobhan laughed.

“Am I hallucinating or is that Siobhan MacLeod?!” he asked with his own boisterous laugh. He slammed into her and lifted her off the ground into a bear hug. Siobhan was elated. It made sense that Ominis would have asked the Weasleys to protect Anne. They were a pureblood family that wasn’t part of the elitist society but had enough prestige and allies to make anyone think twice before going after Anne.

“What are you two doing here?” Garreth asked when he eventually stopped swinging Siobhan around. “It’s been a few years.”

Now that she was on solid ground and had Garreth beaming down at her, she felt guilty that she had allowed Sebastian’s discomfort about her friendship with Garreth to put distance between them over the years. He had never liked the Gryffindor troublemaker and felt threatened by how close they were, despite Garreth never having indicated seeing her as anything more than a platonic friend.

“We are here to see Anne,” Ominis interjected softly.

Garreth started blushing furiously. “Garreth? Why are you blushing?” Siobhan poked him in the chest.

The redhead rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked at the ground. “Um… why don’t you two come in? She’s with the family. Probably best I let her explain.”

Siobhan and Ominis both arched their brows. She laughed. “Fine, be mysterious. Take us to her.”

“Take you to her, got it!” Garreth obeyed her exact command, throwing the laughing Siobhan over his shoulder to take her to Anne. She was grinning and struggling. She’d missed his juvenile spirit and antics. He even feinted as if he was about to try and throw Ominis over his other shoulder, but the dignified Gaunt held his wand toward Garreth threateningly, promising grave consequences. “Don’t try it, Weasley.”

Garreth shrugged, jostling Siobhan as he did so, then took off at a jog toward the house. She saw Ominis roll his eyes as he followed them, but he was no longer bothering to conceal his soft smile. It was a bumpy ride as Garreth carried her around to the back of the house, passing several Weasleys of varying ages, from exasperated elders to snickering children. Siobhan was breathless with mirth when Garreth carried her over a patio, then kicked the back door open and carried her into the warmly decorated Weasley home. “Anne, my love, I’ve brought you another present!”

Garreth deposited Siobhan on the rug, and she reeled at his words. My love? Siobhan turned around and was floored by what she was looking at. Anne Sallow was standing in a room surrounded by even more Weasleys. There were no shadows under her eyes, her cheeks were full, and her skin was glowing. She was healthy. She stood next to a plush armchair that had gifts littered all over the floor beneath it, and she was clearly, visibly pregnant.

Siobhan was dumbfounded. Her eyes flicked between the personification of the Sun that was Garreth and the now smiling Anne.

“Anne… what… how?" Siobhan stammered.

“Ominis, Siobhan, what a wonderful surprise,” Anne greeted them sweetly. Garreth practically skipped over to her and planted a kiss on her temple before resting his hand proudly on Anne’s swollen belly. It was then that Siobhan noticed the gold wedding band Anne wore and the silver band on Garreth’s hand. She darted her eyes over to Ominis, who looked equally astonished by the state of his friend.

“I could say the same!” Siobhan chuckled. “Anne, you look incredible!”

Anne blushed. “Quite different than the last time you saw me, I suppose.”

The catacomb. Siobhan hadn’t had the chance to get to know Anne all that well before Sebastian drove her into hiding on that horrible winter day. It was true, the last time she’d seen Anne, she’d been an emaciated girl being tormented by Rookwood’s curse and the grief of her uncle’s death. The Anne Sallow— the Anne Weasley that stood before her now was a healthy, thriving woman, and Siobhan couldn’t hold back her tears as she was overcome with emotion. “I’m so happy for you. Both of you,” she choked out. Anne rushed to her and embraced her.

“Congratulations, Anne… Garreth.” Ominis offered his hand to Garreth, who shook it enthusiastically. Anne smiled up at her friend and released Siobhan, who had managed to contain her emotions.

“Thank you, Ominis. I’m sure this isn’t quite what you had in mind when you brought me here, but I’m so glad you did!” Anne went to him and gave him as tight a hug as she could manage with her large belly.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled. You deserve a life filled with happiness and blessings,” Ominis said.

“What is all of this commotion?” a warm voice called as none other than Professor Weasley entered the room, levitating several dishes of hors d’oeuvres.

“Aunt Matilda!” Garreth called. “We’ve had some unexpected guests.”

“Siobhan MacLeod! And Ominis Gaunt! How splendid,” their old teacher enthused. “You are most welcome to join us in celebrating the arrival of the newest member of our family.” The rest of the Weasleys, in unison, lifted their glasses and teacups in toast. “To the first of many!” they chorused.

Anne blushed, and Garreth puffed his chest out proudly. Siobhan looked to Ominis, who inclined his head to indicate that it was up to her if she wanted to stay for the party. A thought occurred to her. “Oh, we crashed your baby shower and didn’t even bring a gift!”

Anne shook her head and clasped Siobhan's hand. “Nonsense. Ominis is my oldest friend, and you saved my life when you killed Rookwood.” Anne brought Siobhan’s hand to her belly, and Siobhan started to get choked up again when she felt a tiny little foot kick against her hand. “This baby wouldn’t exist without you. Having you both here to celebrate them is gift enough!”

Siobhan acquiesced, and she and Ominis sat next to each other on a couch, thanking a Weasley man who offered them finger sandwiches and tea. Siobhan, not having eaten nearly enough over the last couple of very trying days, devoured everything offered to her and eagerly engaged Professor Weasley, Matilda, as she insisted they call her now, in conversation about her career and how things were at Hogwarts nowadays.

Anne watched Siobhan and Ominis closely and noticed when Siobhan ran out of food rapidly. She raised one dainty brow and addressed Siobhan. “Seems you require seconds! Come with me!” Anne started to head off to the kitchen, but a middle-aged woman with graying brown hair tried to stop her and told her to rest.

“Anne is not an invalid, Mum,” Garreth gently chided. “She can get more food by herself if she wishes.”

Anne looked at Garreth with a loving expression that made Siobhan so happy. From that little interaction, she could see how fiercely independent Anne had become with her recovery, or perhaps this was who she had always been before Rookwood’s curse, and Garreth’s understanding of her. They complemented each other well.

The two young women entered the kitchen, which had a breakfast nook with a wide window looking out over the patio and field behind the house. Siobhan drank some more tea while Anne insisted on preparing more food herself. Siobhan stood awkwardly leaning against the counter. It was a marvel, seeing Anne like this. She didn’t know what to say to her, though. “I’m sorry,” she decided to start with. “I don’t want to sour this day for you, but I do… I regret the part I played in what Sebastian did.”

Anne paused and smiled tightly. “Thank you for saying that. I know that you did your best to stop him, though. No one is responsible for Sebastian’s choices except himself. I understand that you two--”

“Not anymore,” Siobhan interrupted. “Let’s just say, he never really learned his lesson.”

Anne started to tear up. “I’m grieved to hear that. I had hoped…” Anne flicked a tear from her cheek and shook her head before she returned to the large sandwich she was making. “Ugh, these silly mood swings, I swear. Anyway, I’m glad that you chose to stop enduring his behavior.”

Siobhan nodded dumbly. “You and Garreth!” She changed the subject. “How on earth did that happen?"

Anne smiled sheepishly. “I know. Well, he was always friendly to me at Hogwarts, despite Sebastian’s dislike of him. Once his family took me in, he offered to help me catch up on some learning I missed out on because of my curse. We started with Potions, obviously, and he ended up experimenting with brews to help me with my recovery. The curse started letting up when you killed Rookwood, but I was so weak and frail from what I had endured. It took years for the curse to fully dissipate and for me to start to feel like myself again. That’s why I was in Bath when Violetta Carrow located me. When Ominis brought me here, Garreth was so patient with me, and we spent so much time together, we couldn’t help but form a bond that developed into something more. We are both natural tricksters, so we are just… well suited to each other in a way I never imagined during our years at Hogwarts. He makes me so happy, Siobhan!” By the time Anne was finished gushing, Siobhan was grinning ear to ear.

Suddenly, Anne stopped and caressed her belly thoughtfully. “I have thought more than once about reaching out to Sebastian, letting him know I am doing well. Allow him to know his niece or nephew. But… I always stopped myself for fear of who he may be now. I guess I have made the right decision by holding back. If he hasn’t changed, I can’t have him anywhere near my family.”

Siobhan didn’t know what to say to that, so she just nodded solemnly and took a sip of her tea.

“Sooooo,” Anne shifted her tone to a lighter, more sing-song one. “How long have you and Ominis been…” She didn’t finish her sentence but grinned conspiratorially and pressed her index fingers together to indicate a pairing.

Siobhan choked on her tea, which made Anne smile. When she recovered, she floundered for a way to briefly explain to Anne their situation but had trouble. “Why would you assume that we…?” she just asked.

Anne laughed. “Well, something tells me that Sebastian isn’t the one who gave you this,” Anne taunted as she brushed her fingertips over the love bite just under Siobhan’s ear.

“We aren’t… well, we are… we were. It was just last night, but then... Ugh!” Siobhan was so flustered.

Anne stopped what she was doing and turned her steady, kind gaze on Siobhan. “If you need to talk about it, you can tell me.”

Siobhan bit her lip, then decided to tell Anne everything. She started from the beginning, Ominis’s disappearance, Sebastian’s hunts, Corvinus’s death, Marvolo’s attack, how Ominis rescued her, the time they spent in hiding together, Sebastian’s return and how she ended their relationship, their duel with Marvolo, their night of passion, Sebastian’s appearance and revelation this morning, and the awkwardness between her and Ominis now.

At some point during her exposition, Anne had placed the large sandwich in her hands, and she had started to eat it without conscious intent. When she was done with both, Anne looked pensive. “I’m so sorry that you’ve been through such an ordeal this last week. I am happy that you are mostly alright and that Ominis is going to finally be free of his family. I’m sorry for my brother making all of this harder than it had to be. I’m happy you and Ominis have found each other again. There are a lot of conflicting emotions here.” Anne pressed her finger and thumb to her eyes to stop herself from tearing up again and offered Siobhan another hug, which she gladly accepted.

Anne led her over to the breakfast nook and sat across from her. They both looked out onto the patio and the field. Siobhan was surprised to see that a group of redheaded children had roped Ominis into playing some sort of game with them where they tried to sneak around him without being caught by his sharp hearing. Anne cracked the window open, and the sounds of giggles and Ominis roaring like an imaginary beast when he caught one small boy and lifted him over his head drifted on the late afternoon autumn breeze. Siobhan didn’t realize she was grinning, and she was almost ashamed of the way her body reacted when she inevitably imagined him doing the same with some blond or darker-haired children.

The image of Ominis as a father was incendiary and dangerous to her sanity. “So, what are you going to do?” Anne interrupted her fantasies with her important but difficult question.

Siobhan groaned and slumped against the table. “I don’t knooooooow,” she whined. “I mean, secrets and dishonesty are the reasons I left Sebastian. I can’t start something with Ominis with that same problem, can I? I shouldn’t.”

“And yet?”

“And yet… I love him. I want to be with him, but—”

“There is no but, Siobhan,” Anne interrupted. “If you want to be with him, that’s all there is to it. Sebastian’s lies hurt you because they confirmed your mistrust of him, which made you want to leave him. Ominis not being forthright about Violetta Carrow hurt because it contradicted the trust you had in him. But that didn’t make you actually want to leave him. I don’t think it is quite fair to compare Ominis, who had a momentary lapse in judgment which he was going to admit to on his own, and Sebastian, who lied and manipulated everyone around him for years with no remorse. It’s apples and oranges. You shouldn’t base your decision about your relationship with Ominis on Sebastian’s misdeeds. That’s like punishing Ominis for Sebastian’s behavior.”

Siobhan sighed. “You’re right. There is still the small matter of him being technically engaged, though.”

Anne looked at Ominis, and Siobhan followed her gaze. She felt her heart clench at how unfairly beautiful that man was. He was sitting in the grass with his clothes disheveled as children climbed up his back and over his head. His golden hair glowed in the afternoon sun. His laugh carried over the air to her, and she wanted to hear that sound every day for the rest of her life.

“I understand your concerns with that. No woman wants to feel like she is playing second fiddle to anyone, even on paper. But to err is human, and as someone who has known him for almost half his life, I’d say that if there is any man out there who deserves your trust, it’s Ominis. Let him make it up to you; do what you need to do to clear the way for you to be together. You both deserve to be happy. That’s just my two knuts.”

Siobhan chewed over Anne’s words. Everything resonated with her. She resolved to do what she could to ensure Ominis’s freedom, then to see where their love could carry them.

Notes:

Garreth is such a sweetheart! It is headcannon for this story that the mingling of the Weasley and Sallow bloodlines provided the extra dose of mischief that culminated in Fred and George (twins!) XD

And Anne deserves a happy ending! So do Ominis and Siobhan!

Chapter 14

Notes:

CW: Discussion of incest and abuse. Victim blaming. Fertility issues.

 

When the sun had set, Ominis and Siobhan left the Weasleys' with promises made to visit more often. Siobhan's heart felt lighter. She was happy for them and was glad for the opportunity to reconnect with both Anne and Garreth. When Ominis held out his arm for her to take, she accepted it tentatively. A moment passed before Ominis apparated them back to his townhouse.

She blushed when she remembered everything that had gone on between them in this house. As they ascended the short stairway to the front door, Ominis released his grip on her to open it and usher her inside. Siobhan glanced down at her overnight bag, still sitting at the base of the stairs. "Maybe-- maybe I shouldn't stay here... tonight?" Siobhan flinched at how unsure her voice sounded. 

"You are welcome. I hadn't assumed you'd stay anywhere besides the guest room, if that is what you are worried about," Ominis answered.

Siobhan sighed. "I'm going to a hotel."

Ominis tensed. "Siobhan--"

"I'm not trying to punish you, or anything like that, I promise." Siobhan sighed and furrowed her brows as she bent down to retrieve her bag. She had the intrusive thought of Ominis bending her over and bit her lip. This is exactly why I can't stay here. "I honestly just don't trust myself around you. I don't trust that I will not find myself in your bed unless I am in a completely different part of town. Even then, it's questionable. Take it as a compliment, really."

Ominis smirked, still standing in the open door, but it was the saddest smirk she had ever seen. "I understand, darling. I will be thinking of you, no doubt." 

Two pops of apparation sounded by the road, making Siobhan jump and Ominis whirl around with his wand at the ready. Two woman stood on the dimly illuminated pavement, one who she recognized immediately as Nelisa Gaunt. The other, she could only assume was their mother, Liadan Gaunt. She looked very much like Nelisa, but even more severe and imposing. She regarded Ominis and Siobhan with an unimpressed look.

The latter placed her bag down by the door, assuming she wasn't going anywhere just yet.

"Mother, Nelisa," Ominis greeted curtly.

"Ominis. I see you are well. And this must be your troublemaking little friend. Siobhan, was it?" Liadan observed.

Siobhan inclined her head respectfully. Even though she had no desire to impress this woman whatsoever, she wanted this to go as smoothly as possible for Ominis' sake.

"I wish you had owled that you were coming. I am unprepared for your visit, but you are welcome nonetheless," Ominis said.

The two Gaunt women ascended the stairs. "I did. My owl couldn't find you. It appears you were," Liadan stopped in front of Siobhan and smirked at her. "Occupied." She carried on into the dark house. Siobhan blushed at the implication.

Ominis went about lighting the house and summoning refreshments for them. Nelisa stopped by Siobhan and whispered, "Whatever grief the old lady tries to give you... thank you." Siobhan looked up at Ominis' sister and was struck by the sincerity in her face. "He's... it's really over?" she asked Siobhan.

Siobhan swallowed the lump in her throat. "If we have our way. We still have to make sure to erase records of your existence. You'll likely have to start from scratch."

Nelisa raised a hand hesitantly and placed it on Siobhan's arm. "Thank you," she repeated.

Siobhan nodded mutely and closed the door behind them. She made her way into the parlor. Ominis placed a hand on her shoulder. Of course, with his sharp hearing, he'd naturally overheard them. She wondered how much he knew about what his sister had gone through. She supposed it wouldn't be her place to ask, that it was not her story to tell him.

Once they were all seated, Ominis was the first to speak. "Mother, Nelisa, as I briefly mentioned in my letter, thanks to Siobhan's intervention, Marvolo no longer has any memory of Nelisa or myself as his siblings. I believe this is for the best. I cannot speak for Nelisa, but I have no desire to live any longer as a member of the Gaunt family. The current circumstances will allow us to make a clean break without Marvolo continuing to follow and torment us."

Liadan scoffed. "Come now, Ominis. I've kept my lips sealed for now. But this idea you've gotten in your head of breaking away from the family is likely just another phase. You had similar naive notions when you were at Hogwarts, and yet you returned to the fold only a few years later."

"That was under duress, Mother, and you know it," Ominis countered icily.

"And, yet, you were a natural practitioner of the Dark Arts once you got over your childish squeemishness. You can hem and haw, but blood will out. You are who you are, Ominis," Liadan said with a smirk.

"I am who I choose to be." Ominis straightened his shoulders and fixed his eyes in his mother's direction. Siobhan heard iron in his words, but noticed a slight tremor in his hands. She breathed deeply and placed her hand over his to remind him of her support. Liadan's sharp eyes honed in on the motion.

"Who you choose? Or who she wants you to be?"

"Two things can be true at once," Siobhan said. "Ominis can want to walk his own path, and I can want that for him."

Liadan's eyes sparkled maliciously. "And what if 'his own path' leads him right back to Dark Magic rather than the glittery, naive, fairytale ending you imagine? The Dark Arts are not lightly forsaken once they have been embraced."

Siobhan tried to meet her gaze with equal strength. "I'll help him." She felt Ominis turn his palm up to squeeze her hand, conveying his appreciation for her support.

"Indeed," Liadan said with an arched brow. She turned back to Ominis. "How is Miss Carrow?"

He clenched his jaw. "That is being handled."

His mother scoffed. "Good luck with that," she said sarcastically.

"Is that your way of giving me your blessing?" Ominis asked.

"I suppose," Liadan sighed. "I was always too soft on you. Your father was the disciplinarian. Without his firm hand, I doubt I could do what would be necessary to sway you."

Ominis pulled a corner of his lip up in a snarl. "You cast the Cruciatus Curse on me when I was four."

"Once!" she protested. "Your father wanted me to do it four times, once for every year of your life. I was merciful."

Siobhan's eyes widened. She could not believe the woman's gall. Ominis smiled coldly. "Ah, yes. How could I be so ungrateful?"

"Well, I will just have to be satisfied with you finally accepting the Dark Arts, even if you will not accept your proper role in our family. You can try to break away, but I can feel how strong their hold is on you. Given how weak you were as a child, I suppose this is the best I'm going to get from you. You may not call yourself a Gaunt any longer, but we will always be a part of you," Liadan declared.

Ominis tried to contain his turbulent emotions, but Siobhan could feel how distressed he was. If some small part of him had hoped his mother would show remorse or seek his forgiveness now that she was about to lose him forever, that was undoubtedly crushed.

"And Nelisa?" Ominis asked, refusing to acknowledge her words.

"Nelisa has my leave to go as well. This actually solves my problems regarding the continuation of our line. Without her around to tempt him, Marvolo may finally accept the wife we arranged for him who is actually fertile and begin producing heirs."

Siobhan's eyes darted to Nelisa, expecting her to flinch or show any reaction to her mother's callous words, but she just looked... hollow. Her family knew. They knew what Marvolo had been doing to her and viewed her as the problem rather than confronting Marvolo about his crimes. Siobhan felt ill. Did she make a mistake leaving Marvolo alive? At the time, it hadn't felt like her place and she had worried about her own soul, but at what cost? Was her soul worth it? If his family enabled his behavior to such an extent--

"I wish you the best of luck in propogating your detestable lineage," Ominis droned. "If we are in agreement? You will say nothing to Marvolo about Nelisa nor myself. You will instruct the house elves to do the same. You will actively do your best to ensure neither of us are mentioned in his presence again... In fact, it is probably best if you never speak of us again."

"Agreed," Liadan smirked. "In return..."

"Of course, there is a catch. What do you want?" he asked.

Liadan seemed very pleased with herself. Siobhan was worried. "I have long since given up on Nelisa producing heirs. Even if you do not call yourself Gaunt, I ask only that you not close the door completely on the possibility of having children of your own. Your woman certainly has the hips for bearing children, and her blood purity is... acceptable if not ideal. I ask only that you consider it."

Siobhan was deeply uncomfortable. Ominis fumed. He stood and stalked over to the door, yanking it open and standing aside. "I will not entertain your inappropriate requests and observations. Know that if I see Marvolo sniffing around any of us again, I will not hesitate. Then you will have no chance of continuing the line. Do what you will. Goodbye, Mother, Sister."

The Gaunt women stood and made their way to the door. Nelisa paused and doubled back to Siobhan, sliding a small piece of parchment across the coffee table to her. Siobhan picked it up, but did not open it, only acknowledged her with a somber nod. She stood and followed the women out. Ominis did not see them to the door, but went upstairs. Siobhan watched through the glass of the front door as the mother and daughter went separate ways on the pavement without a glance in the other's direction.

She stood there long after she heard the distinct popping of them aparating away, wondering if she should grab her bag and head to the hotel as she had intended, or if she should go to Ominis.

Chapter 15

Siobhan stewed in her indecision. The thought of trying to find a hotel at this hour was daunting; she had really let the day get away from her with the baby shower and the most uncomfortable family meeting she had ever been privy to, and that was saying something considering she had seen her fair share of Sallow spats. She didn’t regret it in the least, far from it. Knowing that Anne was thriving and that Ominis had his family’s lukewarm blessing to break free were two enormous weights off her heart. 

Still, she was now in a position to impose on Ominis’s hospitality yet again. She rolled her eyes and huffed, but stopped trying to convince herself that she would prefer to go trudging around the city for a vacant room when there was a warm, empty bed right upstairs. She grabbed her bag and returned to the room where she had fled after Sebastian shattered their little bubble. 

The first thing she did, now that she had some privacy, was pull Nelisa’s note from its envelope. She was surprised that her curiosity hadn’t already burned a hole in it.

 

Miss MacLeod,

 

You will hear no words of gratitude from our mother, so allow me to express the unending extent of my gratitude for the service you have done for me, self-serving as it was. I have no expectation of a relationship with Ominis moving forward. By extension, neither do I expect to have one with you. It is likely I will never see either of you again. So, I wish you both well in your future, whether together or apart. 

That being said, if, for any reason, you have the need to contact me, I plan to begin anew in the city of Florence, Italy. You may owl me should there be a need.

 

Regards,

Nelisa Gaunt

Chiara Bianchi

 

Siobhan did not realize she was softly crying until she folded the letter. She wiped her tears and slid the note into the outer pocket of her bag for safekeeping. She wasn’t sure if Ominis would want that information, but she would hold onto it.

She refreshed herself and started changing for bed. She moved carefully and quietly because she didn’t want to disturb Ominis, certainly not because her ears were on alert for any sign of movement in his room.

She only grew more hyperaware of his presence down the hall as she began undressing, remembering the feeling of his hands exploring her last night as he undressed her. She slid into her nightgown and got into bed, but jumped when she heard his door open. Her heart hammered in her chest as she listened to his footsteps getting closer to her room. When she could tell he was right outside, she held her breath, but his footsteps only paused for a moment before he carried on down the hall and descended to the ground floor.

Siobhan fidgeted for several minutes, unable to get comfortable. She had assumed his retreat to his room after his family’s departure meant he wanted to be alone, which she understood. If he had left his room, though, was that not the case?

Siobhan didn’t know what the right course of action was, but she supposed if she did offer to talk, the worst he would do was tell her, “No, thank you.” But if he did need someone and she left him alone… Ominis has already dealt with too much on his own.

That thought had her scrambling out of bed and throwing on her dressing gown and slippers before sneaking out of her room. As she followed Ominis downstairs, she tied her robe and peeked through a couple of doors. She couldn’t just look for which door had its light on underneath, because it was Ominis.

She did hear some shuffling through the last door down the hall, and hesitantly knocked on it, suddenly feeling very nervous. Omins opened it after only a moment. She couldn’t see him very well in the dark, but the red pulsing of his wand gave her a brief, dim view of his night clothes and of the room behind him. It looked like a study. 

“Siobhan, is everything alright?” he asked softly.

She chuckled and shook her head. “I came down to ask you the same question. Today was… a lot to deal with.”

Ominis sighed. “I won’t pretend to be in the best of spirits, but I’m managing.”

Siobhan bit her lip and took a step towards him. She looked down sheepishly. “Do you need any help doing that?”

Ominis was still for a moment, but stepped back to grant her entry. Siobhan was relieved they would not have a repeat of this afternoon’s doorway brush that had lit a fire in her, but the room was tense all the same. Ominis lit a lamp to bathe the room in a soft glow. She took in the neat and orderly bookshelves, which were made of the same warm brown wood as his desk. She sat in an upholstered chair in front of it, while Ominis returned to his seat.

He sighed again when he turned his head down to his desk. “What are you working on?” Siobhan asked to break the ice. 

Ominis rubbed his hand over his temple before answering, “I am about to send a letter and then plan out what I am going to say to Violetta if she does agree to meet me tomorrow. I imagine she will be surprised to get my owl and will come out of curiosity if nothing else. I was going to ask to meet her in a public place, but not one that was too high-profile. The last thing I want is for her to cause a scene and attract media attention if we are somewhere with too many people. London is out.” He turned toward her. “What do you think about the tea shop in Hogsmeade?”

“Madam Puddifoot’s?”

He nodded. “I have heard the decor is painful to the eyes, which should put me at an advantage.”

Siobhan snickered and shook her head, but answered, “That isn’t a terrible idea. They don’t tolerate disruptive behavior either, so if she starts to cause a scene, they would ask her to leave.”

“Precisely,” Ominis smirked. “Now, please don’t take this the wrong way. I am considering if it would be best for you to remain here while I handle that delicate situation.”

Siobhan pursed her lips, loathing the small, jealous beast that started rapidly evolving in her gut and the way her heart beat spiked. She stayed quiet, though, strangled that whispering voice and gave his suggestion honest consideration. “I can’t imagine she would be thrilled to see me.” She tried to map out everything that could go wrong during this meeting in her head. “What if she slips Amortentia to you?”

Ominis hummed and tapped his chin. “Truthfully, I would not put it past her to attempt. She is nearly as unscrupulous as my brother.” He stood and rounded his desk to place his hands on the back of her chair. Her beating heart leapt into her throat when Ominis boldly pressed his face into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. He sighed contentedly before pulling away. 

Siobhan spun around to look at him. “Ominis–!” 

Her chastisement was cut short when she saw the mischievous smile on his face. “Forgive me, darling. I just wanted to remind myself what scent to be on the lookout for in my tea.”

She blushed scarlet. Change the subject! “Well, then. I support your plan, and will not come with you to the tea shop, but I would like to be in Hogsmeade, just in case you need help.”

His smile faded, and he returned to his seat. “We have a plan, then.”

Siobhan remembered the other part of what he was doing up late. “Indeed, you also said you were planning out the conversation?”

Ominis nodded and added further clarification while he finished the letter and sealed it. “The woman has a delightful habit of speaking over others as if her voice were the most important in the room. I need to ensure I have already thought out precisely what I am going to say to not give her any opportunities to derail the conversation.”

Siobhan tilted her head thoughtfully. “You speak as if you plan to sit down, break it off, and run out.”

“Essentially, yes.” Ominis chuckled.

“Why is it so necessary to be that efficient?” she asked.

Ominis lost his mirth and fixed his unfocused gaze on her. “Because every second that piece of parchment remains unincinerated, every moment that I cannot give you my undivided attention, is unbearable.”

Siobhan stared at him for a moment before groaning. “You are really going out of your way to make sticking to my conviction about ‘keeping my distance from engaged men’ difficult, aren’t you?”

Ominis smiled softly. “I am not trying to manipulate you, Siobhan. I simply have half a decade of repressed feelings that refuse to return to their bottle now that they have been uncorked.”

She rubbed her face. Change the subject!! “Well, I suppose we will have to resolve this quickly, then! If you don’t come out within five minutes, assume something has gone awry and come in wand-at-the-ready?”

Ominis nodded. “Sounds good.” He dropped his face to his desk again, distracted by the line of thought down which his mind began to wander. Siobhan thought that she should take her leave, but had to ask, “About your mother… and sister….” 

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Yes.” A tense silence hung between them for several moments before Ominis spoke again. “I suppose… part of me is relieved, a larger part of me than I feel comfortable with. My sister was never kind to me, but, as I suspect you know, she had her own personal demons, one in particular. While I bear her no ill will, I don’t have much of a bond with her to lose. My mother… well.” 

Ominis stood up and began pacing. He shook his head. “I feel… foolish. I feel guilty for feeling like I can breathe without her and my father in my life. Yet, I don’t know why, but some part of me thought, or hoped, that she would be at least slightly grieved to sever ties with me. But that makes no sense. She never gave me an inkling that she would care for me enough to shed tears for me. Why on earth would I expect her to be sad?”

“Oh, Ominis,” Siobhan sighed. Her heart was breaking at the raw vulnerability in his face. She had feared this exact insecurity would plague him. “You are not foolish to search for the mother you deserved to have in the one who failed you. It is natural. If it is any consolation, at least this will be the last time she lets you down.”

He stopped pacing and started fiddling with his wand. “I suppose. I apologize that she subjected you to her scrutiny. You deserve better than to be evaluated like a heifer for breeding.”

She looked at her slippers. There would be worse ways to spend my time than being mounted by Ominis. Siobhan took in a short breath and clapped a hand to her burning cheek, mortified that the thought had even entered her mind.

“The first and last time that my mother openly praised me, even backhandedly, and it was for how I bent my principles to wallow in Dark Magic with them.” He clenched one of his fists and turned to the bookshelf on the wall.

Siobhan stood and crossed over to stand behind him. She gently placed her hand on the side of his arm. “You aren’t like them.”

Ominis rounded on her quickly enough to startle her. “Aren’t I?” he sneered. Siobhan took a step back, but he followed her and encroached on her personal space until she was caged between his body and his desk, the wooden edge biting into her rear. She touched his chest gently, placatingly. “Siobhan, you know what I’ve done. How can you say that?”

“You only did those things because –”

“Because of my father’s bargain? At first, absolutely. But Dark Magic corrupts. I can make all the excuses I want to for starting on this path, but the fact is that I am on it now.” He leaned into her until his lips brushed the shell of her ear, his breath making her begin to tremble. “I feel its rot in my soul. I try. I want to try to be more like the boy you knew, but it’s always there, whispering to me. Sometimes it is my father’s voice, sometimes it is my own, trying to steer me to courses of action that would appall you.”

Siobhan’s breath stilled, then crept free in a softly exhaled, “Try me.”

Ominis flinched. Siobhan pressed away from the desk and into his torso. She tried to sound more confident than she felt when she repeated herself. “Try me.”

He looked like he was losing a battle with himself. “It is… so much easier for me to tend towards violence. I wanted to kill Sebastian this morning, and that is not a figure of speech. I wanted to find more creative ways than just the Torture curse to punish my brother for what he did to you. I thought of killing my own father on more than one occasion. And you…” He trailed off, breathing heavily.

Siobhan furrowed her brow. “Me? You wanted to hurt me?”

Ominis shook his head. “No! I have never wanted to hurt you, but when I was afraid I might lose you for good this morning, it occurred to me that I could always just lock you in my room, tie you to my bed, until I earned your forgiveness– ignoring the absence of logic there, as that would be exactly the kind of thing that ensured I never deserved it. There is no sense in that thinking; it is the raw corruption that has taken hold in my soul. Just like my family.”

Siobhan’s pulse was racing, but she tried to make her voice as even as possible when she spoke. “The difference between you and your family is that you didn’t do any of those things. The initial thoughts we have in a situation are what we have been conditioned to think by the life we have led. Who we are is defined by what we choose to do next. You’ve been exposed to such darkness your entire life. Of course, you are aware of it and of the paths you could choose, but what you do choose is what matters.”

Ominis was breathing a little more steadily after hearing her words. She cupped his cheek in her palm and caressed his scattered moles. “Knowing darkness and choosing darkness are not the same thing, my love,” she whispered. He leaned into her touch and sighed. 

She smiled. “I will remind you of that as many times as you need to hear it.” A thought popped into her mind, as unbidden as the dark urges Ominis mentioned. “Besides, if we manage to get ourselves sorted, and you truly must expel some pent up darkness, I may be a willing subject.”

Ominis opened his eyes and quirked a brow. “Meaning?”

Siobhan blushed, but Ominis had bared his soul to her. It wouldn’t exactly be fair for her to hide her shameful thoughts. “Well, perhaps being tied up in your room wouldn’t be all that unpleasant.”

His hand shot up to grab hers, and he tilted his head towards her, his breath sounding dangerously close to ragged. Siobhan scrambled. “In small doses, that is!”

Ominis placed his other hand on her hip and used his grip to eliminate every offensive millimeter of air between them. “Oh, you cruel siren,” Ominis groaned. “You cannot just say things like that and expect me not to need to be inside of you.” He emphasized his words with a shameless roll of his hips that ignited every nerve ending in her body with his full mast. If there were sirens about, she would happily tie herself to that mast and hang on for dear life.

“It’s… wise to avoid a siren’s call,” she took a step back, but Ominis followed her as surely as a sailor. 

He chuckled. “Alas, I’m fresh out of beeswax. If she wishes to tempt me, I’m defenceless. It wouldn’t be quite fair either way. I already lack sight; to take my hearing from me would be downright cruel.”

A wicked thought wormed its way to the front of her mind. She thought she could control herself, be rational, but then she felt that insistent bulge against her abdomen twitch in anticipation, and the wall of her resolve crumbled into a cloud of lust.

“Well,” Siobhan tried not to read anything into the way her mouth began to water. “If you cannot put something in your ears to silence the siren’s song, there would be another way…”

“And what is that?” Ominis asked hoarsely.

Before she could lose her nerve, Siobhan dropped to her knees before him, gliding her hands down the planes of his clothed chest to rest on the waistband of his soft cotton pants. “Put something in her mouth.”

Ominis made a choking sound and flushed gloriously. Siobhan smirked confidently at how nervous he looked for a moment. He held himself back, unsure but undoubtedly affected. Siobhan pouted. She would have to reassure him that she was serious. In that moment, it made more sense to her not to let the machinations of the Gaunts and Carrows take anything else from her and Ominis than to worry about her pride or a stupid piece of parchment. She wanted this– wanted him . And she would show him.

Siobhan brazenly jerked the fabric off of his angular hips, freeing and giving her unfettered access to that part of him that had haunted her all day.

“Darling, are you– ahhhhh!” Ominis didn’t need to question her intentions further when her hand and lips wrapped around him and greedily sucked around the swollen tip until she drew a gasp from the man above her. She unsuctioned her lips with a pop and pumped her hand once before removing it. 

Ominis furrowed his brow in confusion, but he understood a moment later why when she swallowed him. His hands flew to her hair, gathering the loose locks out of her face – because he is a goddamn gentleman– and he surrendered himself to bliss as Siobhan worked his length in and out of her throat. Every moan, hum, every slight gag she was unable to control was making his control slip further and further from his grasp. 

“Fuck, Siobhan,” he murmured. She withdrew to look up at him, but kept tracing the bulging vein on the underside of his cock with her tongue. Then, she brought both hands to wrap around him and twist their grips while she took the head back into her mouth and hollowed her cheeks while her tongue swirled around it. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, ugh! Darling, that is divine!”

She smiled at the praise but removed her hands and returned to taking him as deep as she could, aiming to be able to lick his balls. When she succeeded, humming victoriously, Ominis groaned and cursed freely. 

“I apologize, Siobhan, for calling you a siren. It was inappropriate,” he gasped out. She tilted her head to the side, confused. “You are obviously a bloody vampire!”

She giggled and released him. “Well, I would love to suck you dry.”

Ominis had to force his knees not to buckle. Once he had control of himself, he tightened his fingers in her hair and used his grip to pull her up off her knees. She followed where he guided her eagerly. “There will be plenty of time for that later, darling. I have a better idea.”

Making her turn, he pressed her, face first, over his desk. He leaned his body over hers, which was noticeably trembling, and whispered in her ear, “I need to satisfy my curiosity. If I lift this nightgown of yours, how were you affected by being on your knees for me? Does it make that perfect cunt of yours wet to gag on my cock?”

Siobhan cried out with shock and desire when he pressed his spit-slick cock right against her covered heat. Ominis pressed his lips just under her ear in a wet kiss while one of his hands started pulling her robe and nightgown up. “You needn’t say a word, Siobhan. I’ll know the answer soon enough.”

She whined so loudly once he finally touched her that she felt rather than heard the soft, self-satisfied exhale against her neck when he found the copious wetness between her legs. “Dirty girl,” Ominis chuckled. “You get this excited just from giving me pleasure, is that it?”

Siobhan was grateful that she could bury her face in the parchment on his desk and mumble an affirmative without having to look at him. She was embarrassed even though she knew he was far from judging her.

“Trust me, sweetheart. I feel the same way,” he said a moment before plunging two fingers into her up to his knuckle and setting a steady but insistent pace with them. The sudden stretch made her let out a gasp that tapered into a moan, which was muffled by the papers she’d hidden her face in. Her body was desperate for him. She was too far gone to stop now and felt her hips shifting back and forth, begging for what she knew he truly wanted to give her, despite how fervently he was pumping his fingers into that perfect spot.

“What’s the matter, darling?” He tightened his fingers in her hair and shifted her head to expose her face and relish her frantic, breathless pants. “So fidgety. Are my fingers not enough for you?”

Siobhan clamped her lips to try and keep herself from saying any of the mortifying things that were on the tip of her tongue. Ominis noticed and didn't care for that approach.

He took his fingers from her and pinched her clit hard enough to make her yelp. “Ominis! Please, please, please!”

Ominis kissed her cheek. “There’s your voice. I was afraid that you’d lost it!”

“Snarky wanker,” she muttered. His open palm cracked against her rear, making her cry out again. 

“Answer the question, love.”

She groaned. “No!”

“No, you won’t answer me, or no, these fingers aren’t quite what you want?” he needled with a smirk before pinching her clit again. 

“Fuck, no, I want…” she trailed off.

“Hmmmmmm?” he hummed expectantly. He released her hair to roughly palm her ass with both hands and massage the ample flesh.

“Why are you making me say it again?” she whined.

Ominis chuckled. “Can you blame me? You’re irresistible when you beg. I’m quite certain I am addicted to the sound. It’s second only to the sounds you make when you cum on my cock.”

Siobhan whined again and pressed her hips back into his hands. “Mmmmm, please!”

Ominis pressed a kiss against her shoulder blades and let the head of his cock kiss her lower lips. He stopped just there. “Are you sure? You told me you felt very strongly about not–”

“Violetta Carrow can go fuck herself!” Siobhan gasped in exasperation. “I need you to fuck me!”

Ominis groaned, “Glady, darling,” and put them both out of their misery by rocking forward to start working himself into her. She wasn’t nearly as prepared for him as she had been last time, so he made more effort not to overwhelm her.

Siobhan’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. Bent over for him like this, he was already knocking against that magical spot. “Ominiiiiis, yes, fuck!”

Behind her, Ominis was already starting to unravel, jaw hanging open, by the time he was fully engulfed by her. The snug fit and friction had his self control hanging on by a thread. Siobhan could tell too. Greedily, she decided to goad him on. She arched her back and whined, “So fucking big,” fanning the flames of his male pride.

He already filled her to her limit, but she wanted him to take her with no restraint, like the night before. She wanted him to wipe her mind of what transpired this morning to erase any doubts she’d had. Spurred by her praise, he gave her exactly what she wanted. He slid his hands from her cheeks up to the dip of her waist and used her hips to hold her in place. Siobhan was in ecstasy as he pounded her into the desk, the edge biting into the front of her hips. She kept trying to rise up to her toes, but Ominis kept yanking her back down exactly where he wanted her. 

It didn’t take long before utter nonsense was spilling from Siobhan’s lips, unable to form a coherent thought. She was pure sensation.

“As much as I appreciate your earlier performance, darling, you destroyed my endurance. I’m close,” Ominis admitted. Siobhan looked over her shoulder and almost came herself at the sight of him. His hair was an absolute mess, his brow was furrowed in concentration, and his mouth was slightly open, with a blissful smile pulling at the corners.

Siobhan hummed with pride. “Add it to the list of things to punish me for.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he warned.

“That’s… all I want… to do, Ominis,” she said between the moans and gasps he was pulling from her with every drag of his cock through her.

Ominis stilled and spanked her again. “You really enjoy playing with fire, my love.”

Siobhan was instantly restless, whining and begging him to keep going. “I do, I do, please don’t stop!”

Ominis grabbed under the inside of her thighs and lifted. Siobhan yelped and scrambled her hands to the desk to steady herself as he placed her knees up on it. She was thoroughly confused, then he moved one hand to the small of her back and pushed down while he pulled one of her legs out. 

“Can you spread these wide for me, love?” he rasped.

Siobhan sank down, not quite able to lay her legs out flat, but as wide and low as she could. Ominis traced his hands over her appreciatively, feeling how she had arranged herself for him. “You are gorgeous, Siobhan. Thank you.”

She was about to ask him to clarify what he was thanking her for, but he had already buried himself in her again. Positioned the way she was, Siobhan cried out when he struck the sensitive end of her channel easily. Ominis chuckled and started attempting to make her regret taunting him by giving her no time to breathe between his thrusts. He planted his feet and leaned over her, one hand keeping hold of her hips, and the other reached out to pin her down by the nape of her neck.

She was screaming for him. She felt completely at his mercy, utterly helpless against the onslaught of his body over hers, inside of hers, and she loved it. It was so thrilling to be under the power of someone she knew would never hurt her– who would only use that power for their mutual pleasure. When his long fingers were able to restrict the blood flow on either side of her neck, Siobhan felt the tension that had been steadily building in her reach a breaking point. 

“Om… Omi… Ominis… I… I…” she couldn’t speak. She didn’t need to. 

“I know, darling girl. I know,” he crooned. “I’m close too. Show me what a good girl you are for me. Cum for me and milk my cock with your glorious fucking cunt.”

Siobhan shattered and gave him exactly what he wanted. She begged him; she had no idea for what, just mindless babbling as she dragged him over the edge with her. His climax was quieter, but no less satisfying than hers. She savored his gasps and groans as he filled her utterly as much as she savored the way his hands gripped her tightly enough to hurt just a little.

Siobhan was glowing and satisfied when he withdrew. He picked her up off the desk and settled her back down in her chair. A quick scourgify dealt with the most obvious evidence of their coupling. Ominis made sure they were both decent again, then kissed her deeply. Siobhan accepted, too boneless to resist him even if she had been so inclined.

He grimaced and pulled away just long enough to return to his desk. His wand pulsed, and his brow furrowed. Siobhan blushed when Ominis picked up the letter from the pile of parchment he had bent her over. He held it to his nose and inhaled. With a snicker, he announced, “Well, if she didn’t already think there was someone else, this would surely tip her off.”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry, you’ll have to rewrite the whole thing.”

Ominis tilted his head. “Why would I do that?”

“Ominis Gaunt, you are not going to send your obsessed fiancée a letter that smells like another woman!” she exclaimed.

“Whyever not?” he pressed her with an annoyingly attractive smirk on his lips. “It might do wonders to expedite the conversation!”

She fixed him with a glare that she knew he couldn’t see. He didn’t need to in order to sense her exasperation. “Don’t worry, love. I am not serious. I will rewrite it. If you would like to take a bath, I will be done by the time you are.”

Siobhan nodded, paused awkwardly, then stood to leave the room. Just before she reached the door, Ominis encircled her in his arms from behind. “Thank you, Siobhan. I do not take this to mean I am completely forgiven yet. I appreciate you not shutting me completely out of your heart.” He kissed her cheek softly and caressed her hair, and she leaned into him. If she were a cat, she would have purred.

“I suppose my love for you is not fragile either.”

He smiled against her cheek and patted her rump playfully. “Into the bath with you then. If I find you waiting for me in my bed, I’ll make sure you have a very pleasant surprise in the morning.”