Chapter Text
For as long as you could remember, music had always been a safe place to express your feelings without fear of judgement; you could play whatever came to your heart, whether it was happiness, sadness, or anger. It was a safe release, and your own personal escape.
When you had arrived at Hogwarts during your fifth year, that had not changed. During one of your many late-night wanderings of the large ancient castle, you happened to stumble across the music hall within the Bell Tower Wing. As your eyes laid upon all of the instruments (and the singing toads, how delightful!), you couldn’t help but feel a sense of ease wash over you. Especially as your eyes fell upon the gorgeous piano in the corner. Walking over, you ran your fingers across the ivory keys, sighing as a beautiful tone came to once you pressed down on said keys. You had never played on anything so nice before. Mostly it was the old beaten-up keyboard in your room back home. Having found what you thought would be your most favorite place in the castle from now on, you went to bed that night without a single nightmare for once about your terrifying entrance to the school- too excited for the morning and your chance to truly try out the piano waiting for you.
A whole year had passed since that fateful night, and true to your thoughts, the music hall was indeed your favorite place in the castle, second only to maybe the Room of Requirement and all your vivariums kept within. By now, your friends knew that if they couldn’t find you in your normal spots then the music hall was where you were at.
Letting out a practiced breath, you slowly let your fingers glide across the smooth keys as you thought about what had just happened. Things had been… rough in the beginning of the year. After Ranrok, Fig, Rookwood, Sebastian… your fifth year had simply been filled with too much excitement. It was all too much for you to process. Time away back at your small muggle home in the deep country had helped. For at least a couple of months, you could pretend that your world hadn’t been completely turned upside down, that you hadn’t been traumatized ten ways to Sunday with everything. It was almost too easy to fall back into the same patterns you had before you had left for the Wizarding school. Well almost too easy. There were still a couple of reminders that told you it wasn’t all a dream. Such as your wand, the brimming Ancient Magic that thrummed in your body, and the occasional owl that would come through your window with letters from your friends.
From him.
Ominis Gaunt. A true mystery of a human being and easily the most handsome boy you had ever met in your life. You were sure after everything that had happened with your mutual friend Sebastian and his quest to cure his sister, that the stately young gentleman would want nothing to do with you afterwards. That any chance you had to get closer to him and see if what you were feeling was nothing more than a fleeting crush or something more was dashed across the rocks of the catacomb along with what little innocence you had left before that fateful day.
But no… somehow despite everything that had happened, you and Ominis had somehow gotten closer. After you two had decided to not send Sebastian to Azkaban, that moment in the Undercroft had sealed your fates together. With no one else to talk about the event with, you had to rely on each other. While you had not sent your mutual friend to what was surely an early and torturous death at the hands of terrible monsters, it had not meant that you both had forgiven him. Both of you declaring that you needed space from him to heal and come to terms with everything that had happened. That outlet was still needed though- the outlet of being able to voice your thoughts of the horror out loud. And so you and Ominis had promised to write each other over the Summer if things got particularly bad. Whether it be night terrors, intrusive thoughts, or just plain bad days.
So write each other you did. At first all you wrote about to each other was your trauma and how the days were hard. Eventually, however, the writing strayed from those to little things about your Summer. How his family was completely ridiculous and asinine- their never-ending pursuit in making him become exactly like them. Books he read during the summer that he was sure you would enjoy. You wrote about the chickens your family had bought, or the new pieces of music you were learning. Your favorite muggle TV shows and movies. It was just like letters between friends. Sure, both of you would still mention the nightmares you had or your feelings of darkness and sadness. But there was more too.
All of that which led to now. You were two weeks within the new term, and Ominis had approached you about starting off slowly with Sebastian and maybe acknowledging him in class. Maybe meeting him to talk. It was a bit… much for you yet. You weren’t sure how you felt about it, so you had asked him to give you more time to think about it. That was two days ago, you had yet to come to a conclusion about whether or not you were ready to face Sebastian yet after everything.
“Lenore? Are you in here?” Speak of the devil and he shall appear. You could recognize Ominis’ voice from anywhere. Even now after it had dropped over the summer. He still had the clear, posh accent, but the lower timbre helped to remind you that you two had both done a bit of growing up over the Summer.
“Over here, Omi.” Your voice an invitation for him to join you as you slowly finished the song you were playing on the piano. Unable to help yourself, you fingers began to drift into another melody. Every time you saw the handsome boy, this song was always prevalent in your mind. The soft, romantic notes a clear fit in your mind for the Gaunt. The way his sandy hair shined in soft sunlight, how his eyes seemed to glow when he talked about the books he adored, the small smile that would tilt at the corner of his mouth when you said something particularly funny to him. Yea no… this was no simple crush you had decided. You had it bad.
“That’s a beautiful piece. Debussy right?” Ominis walked over, sitting on the piano bench next to you with a grace that befitted a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
“Mm… correct. Girl With the Flaxen Hair.” You replied, wondering if he would get the reference as to why you were playing this piece. This hasn’t been the firs time you were brazen enough to display your feelings with music. But you figured that while it was brazen to you, unless somebody was looking for the meaning specifically, they would never put two and two together.
“You play beautifully you know. There’s something graceful about your movements and play style that calms me,” his words sent a bolt of shock through your system. You were so stunned that you even missed a note. Swallowing, you recovered and kept playing, trying to ignore the heat that was rising to your freckled cheeks.
“Thank you,” it was all you could manage to say as you continued to play. Finally, you let the piece drift to an end before turning to face him. Merlin, he really had grown into his body over the summer. Slimmer cheeks devoid of the last of his baby fat. An angled jaw that you were pretty sure could slice into any girl’s heart. He had grown a couple of inches as well. While you had prided yourself on being tall for a girl (175 CM), he easily towered over you by a few inches now. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Ah… yes.” Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he turned to face you on the bench even as his unseeing eyes focused on somewhere behind you.
“Have you given it thought yet? About what we talked about?” Ah… of course this is why he would seek you out. No other reason.
“A little, yes. I’m not trying to ignore you Ominis, I swear. It’s just… a hard answer to give.” You replied finally. He nodded before running his fingers gently over his styled hair.
“Of course. I’m in no way pressuring you, Lenore. I don’t want you to feel as if you must go with what I say. We all heal at different speeds. And I must say that you went through quite a bit more than I last year.” Reaching over, he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder that warmed your whole left side. Sending him a reassuring smile even though he couldn’t see it, you reached up and squeezed his hand gently.
“I appreciate that. I just… truthfully? I don’t think I’m ready. Not yet anyways. I’m glad you’re ready to face him and talk. I’m just… not. There’s still too much I have to work through. I don’t want to face him before I’m ready because the last thing I want to is to say something I might end up regretting”
“That’s very mature of you, you know. I’m a bit envious.” You couldn’t help but chuckle softly at his words.
“You’re the most mature of us all, Ominis, I’m not sure what you’re going on about.” The look he sent you caused you to smile.
“That’s definitely bollocks but I appreciate the support.” Squeezing his hand on your shoulder once more, you finally removed it before you did something desperately silly like lace your fingers together. No need to mortify yourself.
“I speak only the truth you know. Not many would be able to handle the events of last year the way you did. Trust me,” you reassured him as he removed his hand from your shoulder and shifted to sit on the bench properly once more.
“I see that your sense of flattery did not fade over the summer,” he teased you, causing you to truly laugh finally.
“It’s not flattery if it’s the truth! You’re just going to have to accept that you are a better man that you believe that you are.” At your words, Ominis quiets, looking down at his lap before back over in your direction.
“Thank you… Lenore. Truly. Knowing that somebody believes I’m good… well it truly means a lot.”
“No need to thank me, Omi. Like I said, it’s the truth. And I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who thinks so.” It was your turn to reach out to him as you place a hand over his in his lap and squeezed comfortingly. He grips your hand like a lifeline as he smiles.
“Will you play that piece again? The Debussy one? I really liked it.” He asks suddenly, releasing your hand so you could play once more. Smiling, you nudge him gently.
“Always for you.” And with those words that said so much, your fingers glided once more across the keys as you played your feelings into the piece, the boy with the flaxen hair next to you, meaning more to you than he would ever know.