Archive of Our Own

They didn't talk about what life would be like after graduation.  It was one of touchy subjects in which neither party wanted to think too hard about their futures.  In which Ominis would no longer be shielded from the chains of his family name and in which she had to rise up and take her solemn duties as a Keeper of Ancient Magic.

Unfortunately, the passage of time did not stop for them. It wasn't long until Ominis got that ominous envelope from his mother that sealed their fault.

He had sent an urgent owl to her, asking to meet at their usual spot next to the Black Lake.  When she had arrived, Ominis was faithfully standing next to their favorite tree by the lake, just as he had for every day.  His back was turned, facing towards a lake that he could not see. Although she could not see his face, she could tell from the heavy weight on his shoulders, that he did not bear good news.  

"Ominis, you wanted to talk to me?"  She asked, approaching him quietly.  She gently brushed her fingers on his right shoulder, as a guide for him to see where she stood next to him.

She finally got a glimpse of his ashy expression. Her heart stopped.  Though it was spring, the lake brought an cold front, freezing the pair that was standing next to it.

"I just received a letter from my mother." Ominis said quietly.  His hand was clenched on his wand, its red tip seemingly duller than usual.  "She told me what my family has in store for me after I graduate Hogwarts."

"What did she say?"

Ominis turned his shoulder away from her, as if unable to face his lover.  "Mum and dad found me a betrothed."  His expression was angry.  "Someone who've I've never met that I am to marry by the end of the summer."

The air left her lungs, only to be replaced by the icy wind surrounding them.  They did not keep their relationship secret from Ominis's family, though they did not openly advertise either.  Still, it was not unknown to them that the girl Ominis had been seeing was a Muggleborn. Despite her ability to control a magic that few purebloods could even fathom, Ominis's lover was still of inferior origin.

"Is your betrothed Pureblood?"  The Keeper of ancient magic couldn't help but ask.

Ominis's brows crinkled in pain.  "Yes."

The two were silent for a bit, standing in the cold.  She couldn't stop herself from wringing her hands, afraid of the question she wanted to ask.

"Ominis, do you plan on going through with the marriage?"

The sharp-tongued man was utterly silent. His lack of words spoke volumes.

Something fiery in her clenched heart exploded.  "So, that's it?  Just like that, you acquiesce to their demands?  You, who had no love lost on your family, finally bend the knee to their wishes?"  She scoffed at Ominis's stony expression, willing him to say anything, to do anything, to deny these allegations she was making.

Before Ominis could speak, she felt herself being pulled back as if there was a hook in the middle of her gut dragging her elsewhere.

With a gasp, the Keeper of ancient magic returned from the memory in the pensieve.  She was now back in her research chambers, returned to her reality from her days as a Hogwarts student.  She took a shaky breath, trying to even her respiratory rate.  It was far too painful to continue with the rest of the ten year old memory, too agonizing to hear Ominis's sad reply.  Wiping her nose, she looked at her reflection in the pensieve.  The makeup around her eyes were smudged with her tears.  She couldn't help but marvel.  It has been ten years since their 7th year.  Ten years since she last saw Ominis in person.  Ten years since they had lost what was once theirs.

Feeling tired as she often did, she turned her back to the pensieve, sliding down its column to sit on the hard stone floors. She rested her head against the cool pillar, lost as to what to do.

Poppy and Natty had arranged a ten year reunion of their closest classmates at the Three Broomsticks tonight.  It would be fun to catch up with old friends.

It would also be devastating to see what Ominis looked like now, no doubt with his wife hanging off his arms.  Merlin she hasn't seen him in ten years.  She couldn't even stomach going to their wedding (not that the Gaunts even wanted to invite her).

Thunking her head against the pensieve, she wondered if it was worth it to go to the reunion.

Ominis worried at the cufflinks to his dressrobes for the millionth time that night.  He had arrived early to the Three Broomsticks to help to set up.  He only found however that he was quite useless with decorations and that sort of things, and Natty and Poppy gently (but very firmly) sequestered him away from the various party assigned tasks.  So he sat in the corner nursing a butterbeer, alone with his thoughts.

He wondered how his old flame was doing, having not seen her in all this time.  Their departure was a painful one.  Ominis never went without a day regretting how they separated.  He spent many hours thinking of how different it could have been, had he made other choices that day.  

In their time apart, he had wrote to her frequently, as he did when they were still in school.  He filled the letters with familiar poems, just like the ones they used to share together.  He would pour all of his regret, his sorrow, and his love for her into those stanzas.

She would sometimes, on the rare occasion, write back.  Her letters provided him a terse update on her health and a polite inquiry as to the well-being of himself and his family.  If Ominis was lucky, she would tell him what recent adventures she was on, though they were never more informative than those written in the Daily Prophet.  

He wondered what she looked like now.

Funny enough, it was Amit who kept in touch with her the most.  Amit, the clever, hard-working Ravenclaw, had quickly ascended the ranks of the Ministry and was now the new Ministry-appointed ambassador between Goblin and wizardkind.  Amit and hero of Hogwarts often worked closely together, solving wars before they could even start with well-placed diplomacy.

Amit had also arrived early, punctual as he had been in their youth.  Spotting Ominis by his lonesome, he eagerly approached the other man, sitting down on the unoccupied stool next to him.

Perhaps if Amit were someone who cared more about romance and settling down, Ominis would feel a tinge more jealous about the time they spent together.  Instead, it gave Ominis ample opportunity to ask, "What does she look like now? Has she changed?"

As obtuse as Amit could be sometimes, the Ravenclaw instantly knew who Ominis was talking about without having to ask. "Um, I guess she's taller, maybe? And doesn't wear school robes?" He shrugged.  "She wears these really fancy real-proper robes now."

Ominis sighed.  Well, it was a poor choice to ask Amit of all people to describe the beauty in people instead of dusty tomes.

Poppy grinned having overheard the conversation. She was always the other Hufflepuff's closest confidant while they were in school together.  Poppy was the one always pushing the shy Hufflepuff to be more bold and daring when it came to matters of the heart.  Patting her hands dry, she approached the two former students, eager to join in some light-hearted gossip.  "Well, Ominis, if you're asking about our savior of Hogwarts, she's doing quite well.  She grew her hair out.  It's super smooth and long now, though she has these beautiful braids that she puts it in when she goes out for any business.  Whenever, she visits my creature sancturary, she's always dressed in colorful robes like royalty, like a noble from some old Pureblood family." Her voice took a rather teasing tone. "She's very pretty if that's what you're asking."

Ominis flushed, "Um, thank you, Poppy."

Poppy giggled.  Before she returned back to her tasks around the tavern, she threw a wink behind her shoulder.  "Good luck tonight, Ominis."

Ominis flush deepened.

It was well into the night, after the rest of the crew had long arrived and gotten themselves well acquainted with the bar, that she made her entrance.  Ominis knew the second that she arrived when he heard the boisterous applause and cheering flood the small tavern.  Pausing his conversation with Everett, he turned, hoping that she would approach him.

It was in these moments, where Ominis was frustratingly reminded of his lack of sight.  He wished he was able to see what she looked like now.  If Poppy's words were able to hold a candle to the true beauty that she must be.  He wondered if her voice was unchanged, enchantingly mesmerizing.  He remembered falling asleep to the sound of her melodic words as she read from their favorite books.

His wand, almost like his a sentient companion, was able to map her movements as she made her way around the tavern.  It took no effort for it to follow her footsteps as she introduced herself politely to all the party members.  It wasn't long until she arrived right in front of him, coming to a standstill.

Even amongst the crowd at the Three Broomsticks Ominis could pinpoint her unique scent.  Honeywater, lavender, with a hint of ivy.

"Hello, Ominis."  She shyly greeted.

"Hello.  It is a pleasure to be with you again, after all of this time."

Her eyes roamed greedily over his appearance. He had grown so much since their last meeting, now a good head taller than her.  His cheekbones were sharper now, giving him an air of an aloof aristocrat. His blue eyes somehow never lost their dull, instead they were more piercing.  He was wearing black dress robes, freshly pressed, and accenting the long angles of his torso.  He had on black gloves that hid his long skillful fingers.  To her shock, there was no waifish, beautiful woman at his side. Ominis's wife was probably getting herself a drink.  Or she hadn't even bothered to show up for this whole silly affair.  

"So," the former Hufflepuff started awkwardly. She wasn't sure how to make small talk with the boy she once shared her deepest fears and secrets with. "What are you up to now?"

Ominis chuckled.  "Well, finally decided to listen to you and Sebastian for once and use my words for something other than yelling at the two of you.  I'm with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as a lawyer.  I prosecute dangerous dark wizards and witches who commit crimes of hate towards Muggles."

She blinked, not expecting that answer. "Ominis doesn't that mean…people like your family…"

Ominis nose crinkled.  "Yes, I prosecute Pureblood extremists like my siblings and the rest of the godforsaken lot." He shook his head.  "It hasn't been an easy journey."

She couldn't help but smile.  "Well, if you were anything like how we first met, I’m sure you give those dark wizards a run for their money.  Merlin, I still remember almost being brought to tears when you first shouted at me, I can't imagine you in the courtroom!"

Ominis flushed.  He apologized for his lack of manners back then, and he'd continue to apologize for them now.  "We did have a bit of a rocky start didn't we?  Still, as awkward as it was, I am glad you came to Hogwarts, and came into my life."  He frowned, "Though you haven't been in my life much recently."

She felt off balance.  She cradled her drink in her hands.  "Ominis, please do not be mistaken.  I cherish every single letter you have wrote to me.  Especially the beautiful poems.  But…" she started nervously, something like jealousy building in her gut.  "what would your wife think?  I hope she is okay with you writing such provocative words to an unwed, single woman."

Ominis' browns wrinkled.  "Wife?  I'm not married."

She blinked rapidly.  Ominis, unmarried?  The room was spinning, and the floor rocked beneath her.  Her heart was pounding.  "But…after graduation…your parents…the whole betrothal."

Ominis scowled.  "Oh, they tried to marry me off.  Tried to make sure I produced little Gaunts as quickly as possible."

She choked on her butterbeer.

"But as soon as I came back home after graduation, I could see how my family were trying to sink their claws into me, trying to get me to do their bidding.  I couldn't stand for it.  I left immediately."  Ominis snorted, crossing his arms.  "My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner."

Her hands covered her mouth in shock.  Had all this been just a silly misunderstanding? "So, you and your family are no longer speaking?"

He snorted.  "Hard to be on speaking terms when you've been estranged and put away your cousin in Azkaban."  He touched his chin in deep thought.  "Not sure if I can even call myself a Gaunt anymore. Probably not even allowed to use the family name.  I most likely would take my wife's last name, if she would allow it."

Again, she coughed into her drink.  The butterbeer kept going down the wrong pipe. Trying to recover with as much grace as possible, she asked quite forwardly, "So, you aren't with a wife currently, are you seeing anyone now?"

He had a small smile on his face. "Now, not now.  Though, I do hope that changes for me in the near future."  Her face burned at his words.  Ominis did not relent.  "I must confess, I had asked the others to describe how beautiful you were to me. I seem to recall you being the most beautiful girl in all of Hogwarts.  I'm sure you look even more lovely now."

"Ominis!"  She gasped, scandalized at his forwardness.  "You're not too bad yourself."  She admitted.

He laughed.  "Nothing, compared to what you must look like I'm sure."

She felt bold.  "Would you like to see?"

Ominis frowned.  Although his guiding wand was helpful in assisting him to see the rough hazy outlines of people, it was by no means perfect.  "Sorry, I'm not sure I entirely know what you mean."

She set aside her glass on a nearby table. Nervously fixing her hair, she approached him.  She was much closer than she should be for someone having a mere cordial conversation with an old friend.  She anxiously bit her bottom lip, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life." Ominis replied without a wasted second.

She stepped closer, small hands slowly moving into his larger ones.  Delicate fingers started taking off his skin-tight leather gloves.  He jumped at her unexpected behavior.  The sudden skin contact between their joined hands felt like electricity between.

"What, what are you doing?"  Ominis blushed, incredibly flustered.  While he didn't share the old-fashioned ideals of the Gaunts, some traces of social etiquette still lingered.  Merlin, doing…whatever it was she was doing… between two unsupervised, unwed young people?  In public?

She giggled, her lingering touch felt like scorching hot fire on his hands.  "Muggles don't have wands to help them around.  This is how blind muggles see: with their hands."  

In Ominis's opinion, muggles were entirely too improper.  

She continued taking off his gloves with no future protests.  His hands had not changed much since their childhood.  They were still cold and pale with long piano-player fingers.  Though all she wanted to do was lace their hands together and press kisses to his palms, she refrained.  Slowly, she guided his hands to her face.  Her eyes flickered upwards, looking at Ominis face to gauge his reaction.  With her hands on top of his, she gently pressed the pads of his fingers along the curve of her jaw, giving him permission to explore.

Ominis felt faint, unsure if what was happening was a dream.  Enraptured by this new form of sight, his fingers followed the soft curve of her jaw up to smooth transition to her cheeks.  He felt her flutter her eyelashes at the sensation and marveled at how long they were.  There was much he could do to learn from muggle kind.   The formalities fell away and social graces were entirely forgotten. He traced the contours of her face, eager to see what she looked like.  

"None of my poems ever come close to describing you," He concluded.  "Merlin, you transfix me."  

With his hands still on her cheeks, he could feel her sharp intake of air.  One of her trembling hands reached up to meet his.  She held his hands in place on her cheek, begging for him to stay. "Ominis, I've missed you."

His thumb brushed her cheek in a soothing manner. He was unwilling to drop his hands away from her, less he let her go.  "I've missed this.  There isn't a day that goes by when I'm not thinking of you reading me your favorite books next to the Black Lake."

She slowly steered Ominis's hands to the one last place he still had not dared to touch.  He could feel the edge of his thumb meet the soft creases of her lips. "Ominis, what if we were to go back?  Go back to how it used to be, when we used to spend our days walking around the lake."

Ominis pulled himself closer to her face, his thumbs brushing the cupid's bow of her parted lips.  Before his eyes fluttered shut and before his lips met hers, he whispered softly,  "I would very much like that."