Chapter Text
- I will not stand for this! If you go with him, we are through.
- What?
MC would have expected that from anyone, but HIM. To place emotional threats, ultimatums, that was more Sebastian’s style.
- Ominis, you are being silly – Sebastian tried to reason with him.
- You would think so, wouldn’t you? – He was unusually inflexible- I have begged both of you to stop with your antics, to stop breaking the rules, but whenever a turn my back you two are galivanting through the forbidden forest. If it was only you, Sebastian, I wouldn’t even bother. But she is my girlfriend, and she continues to place a lie on top of the other to cover for your dark arts!
- But this is not like that – MC touched his shoulder, but Ominis took a step back.
- It is not just the dark arts – he signed-.
MC did not expect this kind of situation. She looked at Sebastian for help but he didn’t seem as rattled as she was. He seemed to be looking forward to the outcome.
- Are you saying you are jealous?
- Shouldn’t I be? Whenever he calls for you, you leave me to go running for the next big adventure. I would have never, in a million years, admit it, but you two are making it impossible for me to keep my manners.
Never mind what she thought before. She did know that something like this was bound to happen. Ominis was not wrong in his accusations, but she would never do anything to hurt him.
- Nothing is going on between us if that is what you are implying -she wasn’t upset, because she understood that every man had their limits-. He just needs my help, and would rather galivant the forbidden forest with him, than allow him to go by himself.
Ominis sneered.
- I stand by what I said. I will not put up with this any longer.
- Sebastian, help me out.
But when she turned around to look at him, Sebastian was waiting for an answer.
- Why aren’t you saying anything?
- Because he is right – MC didn’t seem to understand-, I already told Ominis that I confessed my feelings for you while we were looking for the relic.
Her face went pale. She looked at Ominis, only to witness his disappointment.
- Ominis I… I rejected him- she whispered.
- That is not the point – Sebastian got in between them-. I am in love with you, and rather than keeping your distance, you continue to follow me. You are confusing me, and I just needed a friend. Even if said friend smashed me against the walls of the common room for a good hour.
- So, you agree with Ominis that you should go by yourself?
- I agree with Ominis that you should decide. Are you coming with me, which I will take as a sign that have a chance…, or are staying with him.
MC looked at Ominis and his eyes were locked on hers. His breathing was awkward and controlled. He feared her answer. He didn’t trust her. Perhaps never did.
She, on the other hand, felt as if she was being pushed to the edge of the stairs. It was an unpleasant situation to be accused of being a two-timing bitch, to be judged when she didn’t do anything wrong.
She took a deep breath and tried to keep her tears from spilling.
- I am sorry that I made you both suffer so much – the sarcasm was flowing-. I didn’t know that this is what you thought of me.
- That is not what Sebastian meant – Ominis was upset but hadn’t meant to insult her-. I just… don’t want to feel like I am the one getting in between you two.
- Well, you are not! - The Undercroft swallowed the scream- I am YOUR girlfriend. I said yes when you confessed – she cut him off when he tried to speak-. But… if this is how you feel, my decision is clear.
She turned to Sebastian and by instinct he took a step towards her.
- I cannot go with you.
Silence swallowed them whole.
Sebastian now felt like was the one being pushed down the stairs. But no one was there to soften the blow. He had jumped and no one was ready to receive him. His heart stopped for a moment, a millisecond, but it had been so painful that he might remember the glitch for the rest of his life.
The sounds around him were muffled, and he was having a hard time believing the girl in front of him was MC. The only person that could make him forget about his ambitions, if just for a short amount of time.
- What?
- What?
Neither Ominis nor Sebastian could have overseen this. They were both So sure she would go with him. Ominis himself had been getting ready for this moment for hours, knowing it was coming.
- You heard me- her heart was hurting at the thought of him facing all that darkness by himself-. I am in love with Ominis, and… we both know that this lead is probably a dead end.
- I… I must go. Anne…, she needs me.
- And Ominis needs me – she could not hold his eyes and lowered hers in shame-. I am sorry.
Sebastian looked at Ominis with pleading eyes, but what was he expecting? That Ominis would give up the girl he loved so Sebastian could be happy? Just so he could take everything from her and end up destroying her? Ominis had been willing to step back, but not now.
Not when she had acknowledged their love in front of his friend and love rival. Ominis felt his heart could burst with happiness. Giddiness he had never experienced, not even when they first kissed, took hold of his heart and twisted it gloriously.
- My love – he looked for her hand, but his heart and soul recoiled when she slapped his hand away.
Without a word of goodbye to any of them, she left them behind.
*#*#*#
- Wait! - Ominis was following behind her, trying to keep quiet so they wouldn’t get caught-. MC, please talk to me.
Their steps echoed against the walls of the deserted school. She had a good mind to start running, but she remembered how scared Ominis got whenever he had to run, and he looked as if he would if he had to.
Ominis reached her waist, hooked his arm around her navel and forced her back against his chest.
- Don’t run – whispered against the column of her neck.
- I wasn’t running! – she turned around and pushed him as hard as she could. She saw the precarious moments in which Ominis almost fell, and she saw the hurt in his eyes.
- I know you are upset. But I just needed to be sure!
She childishly crossed her arms.
- Did you always suspect me? Or was it something I did or said?
- You should have told me he confessed to you.
She sighed.
- I know – admitted-. I know I should have, but I didn’t know how. And it seemed pointless the more time passed. He wasn’t disrespectful in any way, and he never tried to kiss me. He kept acting like a good friend.
- Just as well!
At his outburst, MC looked around and pushed Ominis into an empty room.
- Just as well – he said again-. I felt like an idiot when he stood in front of me, saying he could no longer keep it to himself. And I am not so obtuse as to ignore he’s had feelings for you all along. But I never expected him to be so bold as to confess to MY girlfriend.
- I am sorry.
- I am just weirdly pleased that you decided to stay – he got closer and tried to sneak his arms around her. But she took a step back.
We closed his fists to ward off the frustration.
- I stayed, but maybe you shouldn’t.
- What do you mean?
-Sebastian is hurt right now, and there is no one to stop him from going into the forest by himself – she touched his cheek with the tip of her finger-. He needs a friend. If it’s not me, then it should be you.
- You do care for him – he whispered.
- As a friend? Yes, of course, I care for him.
- Very well, I’ll go with him.
- Good.
Ominis tried to get closer again. This time, she didn’t stop him from placing a timid kiss on her lips. When he noticed her acceptance, his arms surrounded her waist and brought her against his body to deepen the kiss. Her lips were refusing his entrance at first, but the more he adored them the more pliable she became. His right hand pressed upwards against her ribcage and held its position, leaving one of his fingers to massage the outer side of her breast.
MC opened her lips to let him in, their tongues meeting in a timid yet enticing dance. She felt his hands hook behind her thighs and with a small jump, he had her place on top of a cluttered table. Ominis pushed her legs open and adjusted himself between them, nudging her to surround his waist with them.
- Ominis, you said…- the heat was pooling in her core.
- I know – his lips lowered down her neck and crumpled the fabric of her shirt, he pulled down to reveal her collarbone.
She felt the evidence of his arousal against her thigh and using her legs as support, she ground her bundle of nerves against him.
- Merlin- he grunted.
With his left, he pried open several of the buttons of her shirt and sneaked a hand to grab her breast. His tongue pressed against the base of her neck and drifted up to the left lobule.
- Ominis, he is going to leave you behind- raked her hands through his hair while pressing harder against his hard-on.
Ominis took a deep breath between the crease on her breast, drowning himself in her smell.
- Stop thinking about him while I kiss you– he spoke with his teeth clenched.
With the force of a Blunder ball, MC was pulled out of her stupor by the reminder of his jealousy.
She pushed him away slowly, trying to swallow the disappointment. Ominis lashed onto her lips with determination, trying to keep her in place.
- Sorry -the Slytherin pressed their foreheads together. He was out of breath -. I am sorry.
She didn’t answer right away.
- I didn’t mean it like that. I just want to stay here – he lifted her skirt slowly and wrinkled it around her waist-, like this.
- You should go – she pushed her skirt down and jumped from the table-. And do be careful. When he gets in the zone, he tends to forget the people fighting next to him.
Ominis sighed and tried to place his hair under control.
- You mean he would attack me?
- Nope, but he will leave you unprotected or behind- she squared her uniform-. Did it to me more than once.
- Ok, I will be careful.
She tried to leave but he grabbed her hand.
- I love you- he was pleading.
- Yes. Thank you.
Ominis was hurt and his expression showed it.
- You won’t say it back?
- I don’t feel in love right now – she pulled her hand away-. Good night Ominis.
*#*#*#*#
- She said that? – Sebastian asked while killing a spider.
Ominis signed, still under the Protego spell. MC was right, Sebastian would use the ring of fire charm with no regard to Ominis' location.
- Yes.
- That’s rough – Glacius and Diffindo were next on his arsenal of curses-. Almost as bad as being rejected for a second time.
- Can you really call it rejection? Or is it more like loyalty towards her boyfriend? – Ominis used evasion charms, too tired to actively try to kill anything. They had been going at it for hours- We shouldn’t have placed her in that position.
- We? – The redhead looked around, but he didn’t see any more spiders. At least not yet- You are the one who brought it up.
- After you told me that you were pulling her into another catastrophe.
- And now you are the one inside that catastrophe – they regrouped.
- Can’t we be done with it? – he took a sniff of his robe- I smell like something is rotting inside my pockets.
- There might as well be something in there – Sebastian looked worse for wear-. I have fallen on top of so many corpses that a feel one of them will follow me home.
- We sleep in the same room, so shut your mouth. If something follows you, I’ll kill you both.
Sebastian chuckled. It was his first time seeing Ominis in such disarray.
- Are you still upset?
- You came onto my girlfriend! – He shook his hand – If it was the other way around, how would you feel?
- Betrayed – he admitted plainly.
- Precisely!
- But I would understand -he added-. She is like… the sort of person that can love you infinitely, but still would not let you or me chain her down. It’s addicting.
- I know what you mean. And I do understand, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you have her.
- You were just about to let her go! – Sebastian was about to break his wand- You said she needed to choose! What does that sound to you?
- I said I wanted her to choose, not that I wanted her to choose you!
Sebastian scoffed.
- Don’t give me that crap. You were just as surprised as I was when she decided to stay in the castle!
- You think I wanted her to go with you? - Ominis was losing it- Yes, I was afraid. But I wanted to make sure she would side with me.
- And she did! Congrats-the-fucking-lations!
He tossed a Bombarda to a rock wall full of spiderwebs, making dust shower over them. Neither of them flinched.
- Can we please not talk about her for the rest of the night?
-Sure.
They ventured deeper into the cave, finding dozens of tables cluttered with letters and lamps.
- Anything? - Ominis waited for him to check the table’s content.
- Nothing. Just some notes and a sales list.
- Poachers?
- Possible.
- I feel bad for whoever lives in this place.
- Yeah, me too.
Sebastian turned around to continue the exploration when he saw an Absconder Giant Spider ready to jump on Ominis.
- OMINIS! - Screamed at the top of his lungs.
He wouldn’t make it. Ominis' body was in the way, and an attack from him would kill the blond before the spider got to him.
He could only watch in horror as the spider used its legs to jump forward with its fangs ready for the kill. Ominis did not know what was happening until it was too late, with his wand limp next to his body, his heart frantic on his chest, and panic muddling his thoughts. He didn’t see it. He didn’t even know what it was.
He was going to die!
*#*#*#*#
- BOMBARDA!
The scream came from everywhere, and nowhere. A blast shook the spider’s body, incinerating it until all that was left were ashes.
The explosion had been so close to him, that the aftershock sent him and Ominis’ body flying.
- Ominis! -A terrorized shriek came from the top of the cavern, and before he knew it, a very shaken girl was jumping down- Ominis!
Sebastian tried to drag his body to where the couple was.
- Ominis? -she was singing his name in pain- No, no, no…
- Is he ok? - his voice was hoarse due to the smoke he inhaled.
- Come on! Come on! You are ok! You are ok – she was on the verge of tears- Please?
Sebastian reached them and looked for the entry wounds.
- Seb? - she cried out -. Seb, please do something.
- Ominis? -he was about to cry himself.
His body was inert. He didn't seem to be breathing.
- Please!- Her body was shaking with sobs.
Cough. Cough.
Sebastian and MC took a gasping breath when they saw Ominis come back to them.
- Oh, Merlin! – she grabbed his shoulders and forced him into a hug, almost laying down on top of him- Thank you.
- I am fine – his voice was hoarse, but he enjoyed the kisses she was placing all over his face-. I am fine.
- Did it bite you? – Sebastian was frantically looking for blood or the purple residue of the poison.
He said no with his head and tried to sit up.
- No -he grunted-. I think I just hit my head when I fell.
- I am sorry – MC was quick to apologize-. I saw it on top of you and…I… I should have used another spell. It was the first one that came into my head. I am so sorry.
- Shhh – he placed a hand on her cheek-. I am glad you did that. Thank you.
Ominis was ok, but the other two were crowding over him with fear pinching their hearts. He stood up slowly and looked around for his wand.
- Here – MC found it nearby-. It doesn’t seem broken.
Ominis raised it and the red flicker came to him automatically.
- It is fine.
After the shock left them and they were able to settle down, Sebastian looked at the Ravenclaw girl.
- What are you doing here?
-Umm- she was caught with her guard down.
Ominis faced her as well. He tried to ignore another pang of doubt and waited for her to explain.
- You said you wouldn’t come.
- I…said I wouldn’t come with Sebastian. I didn’t say I wasn’t coming to the forest.
The boys raised their brows with skepticism.
- I swear it. I didn’t know this was the same cave Sebastian was talking about.
- Are you sure? - Ominis could not stop himself fast enough.
- Yes! I am doing a favor… for another friend.
- So, Ominis stops you from putting yourself in danger by not allowing you to come with me, all so you would come to the Forbidden Forest to help someone else.
- Something like that- she ground her teeth.
- All by yourself? - Ominis still not believing her.
- Ominis, I kept my word. I swear I wasn’t following you guys – she got impatient-. And to be completely honest, I was expecting you guys to be in the castle by now. Why is this taking you so long?
- We were cleaning – Sebastian said plainly.
- Cleaning? A couple of spiders? Seb, it usually doesn’t take you this long to clean a cave- she cut him off before he could offer excuses-, and I know it wasn’t Ominis’ fault because I saw him fighting Inferi once before, and it was pretty hot.
Ominis blushed and cleared his throat.
- I mean… because of the spells, of course.
- Well, we may or may not have met centaurs on the way here- Ominis patted his robes to eliminate the dust.
- You didn’t hurt them, did you?
- Why are asking me? – Sebastian flinched.
- Because you are a hater of magical creatures– she sneered.
- Someone is being hurtful today – he complained-. And I would have you know, we were polite.
- Up until the moment they threaten our lives – Ominis interceded.
- Yes, well, they had it coming.
She signed.
- Just do me a favor and stay out of their way.
She was about to help Ominis with his robe when Deek appeared next to her.
- Oh, my. Deek didn’t know you came with friends.
Ominis wand was up in no time ready to defend himself, and Sebastian jumped away from the small elf.
- It was a coincidence really -MC looked at them funny-. What are you doing here? I thought you would wait for news in the… castle.
- Deek felt bad about sending you here all alone, in the middle of the night. Deek wanted to help.
Sebastian and Ominis were out of sorts, wondering how she got herself a house elf.
- Thank you, Deek. But since the boys are here, I can manage.
- Um, very well. Tubbs should be on the deepest side of the cave. Do be careful.
He disappeared again.
- You said you were doing this for a friend – Sebastian sounded accusatory.
- And my innocence has been proven. Deek is a friend.
- A house elf is not a friend – Ominis interceded-. They are servants, and you can hardly trust them.
- Because I love you, I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.
Sebastian tried to ignore the pang he felt.
- Ominis hates house elves just as much as I hate Goblins.
- Why? - she looked at him with eyes wide open.
- Doesn’t matter. What did that thing get you into?
MC was taken aback by his venomous glare.
- His friend, Tubbs. His master forces him to gather supplies in this cave. Deek is worried and asked me for help.
Ominis face contorted with disgust. It reminded her of the time he found her exiting the Undercroft.
- Elves can appear at will, wherever and whenever they want. He could have come here himself.
- Maybe, but Deek also has things to do. And besides, I am the one who offered.
- MC, you must be stricter with your servant.
She was used to Sebastian berating Goblins. But Ominis was not supposed to be like this.
She let her hand fall softly but firmly against his cheek. It was the threat of a slap, but not quite.
- Two things for you to remember, love. He is not my servant; he is a friend. And a good one at that – Ominis grabbed her hand but kept it against his cheek-. And secondly, he has done things for me out of goodwill, and I repay the favor with another one. I don’t question it since I trust his judgement.
- Fine- he sighed softly.
- I don’t know why you hate them, but please, for me, never speak about Deek like that -she turned to Sebastian-. And you will both be on your best behaviour when we find Tubbs. Agreed?
- Agreed.
- Agreed.