Chapter Text
Ominis Gaunt - An Arranged Marriage
Tension hung high at the Gaunt Manor’s drawing room. There was nary a single hue of color, each wall intricately painted and filled with white and black tiles, sometimes grey. The room felt empty and cold, despite the many paintings and artifacts kept on display. The Gaunts wanted a full collection for gawking visitors to ogle at. On a chair and pondering, Ominis Gaunt sits quietly.
His wand was firm on his hand, pulsating. Waiting. Anticipating. The manor house elf had gone lengths to make the drawing room just a tad bit more welcoming. The usual white sofas now had dainty throw pillows and a few small blankets. At the center of the circular table were flowers, an array of red roses and chrysanthemums. Regardless, this did not help Ominis’s case of anxiety and worry. If he had a choice, this day would not have come; the day that he meets the woman betrothed to him simply because his parents wanted him to. An arranged marriage. Cursed pure-blood politics.
A sheer reminder of how no matter he tries to escape, his own name had permanently made him prisoner.
His heel continuously tapped the concrete floor, questions and ‘what if’s circling his head as he wondered how this person would perceive him. The way that Ominis sees himself in strangers’ eyes is that he’s merely another Gaunt, except he is the ‘blind one’. Not exactly a dream combination that many people wish to meet, and he supposes that not many people would wish to be betrothed by him either.
He swallows down the lump in his throat, readying himself whilst taking deep breaths. This shouldn’t be difficult. All he has to do is sit, talk to them, and discuss… terms. Compromise. What would the marriage look like once it actually comes to be? How many heirs were asked to be given by their parents? Just average, day-to-day conversations of two purebloods. How exciting.
Ominis’s thoughts are cut quickly once he hears the sound of the doorknob turning. Like a soldier hearing his captain’s orders, he straightened himself as he stood up. He heard the delicate footsteps of the Gaunt house-elf followed by the heels of shoes tapping onto the floor growing louder and louder.
His wand shined at the tip, scanning and mapping every subtle change in the drawing room. “Sir Ominis, may I present the Lady Kincaid” His house-elf announces.
“Please, call me Demi” The woman sheepishly spoke. Ominis thought she had spoken to him, only to be met with surprise when he realized she was talking to the house-elf. “Ahm! Ehrm, I am not supposed to address any pure-blood by their first names, Ma’am! Excuse me!” And with a snap of a finger, the house-elf Disapparated.
“My apologies for being too forward with your house-elf, Sir Gaunt” And at last, she finally addresses Ominis. Before she could even settle in, he already had a question to ask. “You told my house-elf to call you by your first name” Ominis sharply states, his voice commanding, but not threatening. “Why would you do that?” It was curious, indeed. Purebloods pride themselves on being authoritative images.
The woman, who goes by Demi, tilts her head as she responds, “I do not feel comfortable with anyone addressing me by my last name, sir. It makes it seem as if I am merely a preserved bloodline and not my own individual” There was no hint of malice nor hesitation in her voice. Ominis exhales a small breath as his brows furrow. This cannot be a pureblood in front of him; at least, not the crowd he was used to seeing.
“You have no regard for the blood you carry within you?” He attempts not to challenge her, but to dissect her a bit more.
“I do have regard, sir. I simply wish to be recognized as my own person with my own credentials and recognitions. What’s the use of a powerful name if you haven’t got anything else to strengthen it?”
A fair point.
Needless to say, the Gaunt is quite intrigued. “I would like to apologize for quite the forward questions, I merely wished to know…” his voice trails off softly, but he continues, “I wish to know what you stand for” With his left hand equipped with his wand, he reaches out his right hand to Demi. “Ominis Gaunt, and I take that you are Demi Kincaid”
“Demitri Kincaid, Sir Gaunt” Demi corrects him as she takes his hand, shaking it with delight. This piqued Ominis’s nosiness even more. She let the house-elf call her by her nickname? What kind of a pureblood would do such a thing? The moment he would attempt to do a similar thing, his father would be onto him like an Auror seeking a Dark Wizard. Merlin knows just how much he’s experienced the Cruciatus Curse firsthand.
He ushers her to sit down across from him.
“Please drop the formalities. We are betrothed, after all” Ominis had a tired tone as he requested this. He tried to make it sound normal, but being a fiance to someone you had just met sounded preposterous that even he couldn’t fathom it. “You may call me Ominis”
“Thank you, Ominis” He heard her speak with a smile. Hm.
“Pray tell, how exactly did you come to be in this position?” He asks as he crosses his legs. “My parents wished for me to marry pureblood– not anyone that’s closely related which crossed out a number of other families” She murmured the last one to herself, but Ominis still heard it all. He stifles a chuckle, fearing it might color his stoic demeanor.
“My parents promised me freedom for when I am able to marry a pureblood and bear an heir. After that, I shall no longer be under their watchful eyes” Ominis tried to find a small hint of change in her voice, but he failed. She made everything sound so… easy. Like an arranged marriage was as simple as riding a broom. This made him a bit unsettled, but a bit furious with how well she seemed to be handling it.
“That’s it? No climbing up the ranks, no opportunistic endeavors that you might have?” Ominis then leans forward, his forearms resting on his thighs for support. “The Gaunt name was, and is a renowned family. Surely, you have more in store for me.” At the moment, Ominis felt as if he asked the right question. Perhaps she will finally be honest with him.
“Hm, I suppose taking up a proper education in a renowned institution would be nice. Even a short-term visit would be beneficial” There it was again. It sounded simple. Ominis tried to sense a shift in her breath, or a fiddle in her fingers, but there was nothing. She was being truthful, yet the truth irritated him.
“Education? A renowned institution– Merlin, what are you even talking about?”
“Well, I have a keen interest in Magizoology and Spellwork. Attempting to go in renowned institutions is difficult when you are a woman, Ominis” Demi had a confident air surround her as she continued, “If I am able to secure a husband– a Gaunt, no less– perhaps there would be a bigger possibility of purebloods forgetting that I am a woman and remembering that I am married to one of the most powerful families in the country”
A beat.
And then another.
“... That’s it?” He could not help but ask with such disbelief. “Really, that is all there is to it? You willingly marry a stranger of noble blood simply because you wish to pursue your own opportunities?” There was a tinge of rage in his voice. This cannot be the truth. All his life, he was surrounded with opportunistic bastards and fools who only wanted his money. He was looking for a catch— anything at all.
“Ominis,” Demi’s voice was firm when she called out to him. As if Silencio had been cast on him, Ominis shut his mouth.
“I am a woman first before a pureblood. Women in our society are expected to be polished, plucked, and pruned to become a pureblood worthy of another man. That is all the ton wishes for me to do” Although he couldn’t see it, Ominis could feel it; her eyes were staring daggers into his own, challenging him to say more.
“When I am finally off the marriage mart, I can finally pursue what I wish to pursue and not stay as a spinster with no opportunities coming her way. I want— no, need to be wedded to you in order to feel equal in our world” Demi finishes, crossing her arms. This was when Ominis noticed her quickened breathing and the obvious scowl on her face. She finally showed anger– an emotion that was uncommon between people of their world. When you practice perfection like a second language, you tend to mask a lot better.
The fact that Demi hadn’t hidden anything eased Ominis. He wasn’t looking for anything particular in a woman. He simply wanted someone authentic. Real. Grounded.
“Does that satisfy your queries, Ominis?” Demi asks. He noticed that she had said that through gritted teeth. He sighs and eases up. “My apologies again. It’s just a bit–” He stopped himself, attempting to look for the right words.
“Hard to believe?” Ominis stares at her, the response unfortunately true. His lips twitched slightly upward, but not enough for a proper smile. “You grew up under the microscope of our world just like I did” He leans back on his chair, his wand never leaving his hand. “You understand why I ask these questions and why I am very skeptical, even when I know you are telling the truth” Demi clasps her hands together before responding.
“I understand, and I am sorry for replying a bit harshly. This is our first meeting, after all” An apologetic tone came from her as she spoke. Ominis took note of this. “It’s better than putting up a facade. I would not have preferred it if someone trained to lie straight to my face. It’s so detectable when they do so” He rubs his temple a bit, recalling the amount of women and relentless matrons who forced themselves onto him.
“Tell me, Demi. How do you see yourself in this marriage?” A small sound escaped her mouth, which Ominis gracefully took as an opportunity to elaborate a bit further.
“When we are married, living life together as Gaunts, how do you see yourself?”
There was a small pause and a sound of wondering. Ominis hears the shaking of her legs and the soft taps of her fingers as she thinks of her answer. “I see myself contented, honestly” This earned widened eyes from Ominis, despite him attempting to hide it.
“That would mean I am secure, I have opportunities left and right with no debate as to what I can and can’t do. That would also entail privacy, a roof over my head, perhaps a child as I do wish for an heir or heiress,” The more she spoke, the more Ominis’s thoughts also began to wander. How does he see himself in this marriage?
“Yes, I believe I’ll be content, Ominis– considering the circumstances” Demi finally finishes, her hands now properly on top of her lap. “An arranged marriage is not ideal, but I unfortunately have to do my duty to my parents. Escape is not a viable solution for-” Her breath hitched “- our life” He notices her readjust in her seat. “I implore that you understand my reasoning. I simply want a life– my life. Away from the expectations and away from ruined and sickening ideologies. I’m tired of pretending that my beliefs would be accepted in the future because let’s face it, we are aware of how far the roots go down”
Hearing this, Ominis felt pity. There is a feeling in his chest he couldn’t understand, but he was sure of what it was: Trust. In a manner of a few shared sentences, his heart was certain that honesty had been constant as they spoke.
She had nothing to hide as she is just as trapped as he is.
Ominis takes a deep breath, an attempt to calm himself. He is unsure why things are stirring within him. The circumstance in itself was distasteful, but she made it all seem fine. He was anxious, nervous, and concerned for his future– yet here she was, holding it all together for the both of them.
“... May I ask for your input?” Her voice echoes in his head. In all honesty, he hasn’t thought that far ahead. He thought he would have more time after finishing his education at Hogwarts, but here he is, freshly 20 years old and betrothed to a woman he barely knew. Ominis ponders, and for the first time in the conversation, he couldn't think of anything to say except for what his father calls ‘a fool’s response’
“I do not know”
His defenses did not disappear altogether, but it was lessened. He supposes if the rest of his life is with this woman in front of him, he might as well take a small dip in the waters. Perhaps not to wade in, but to softly touch the surface with a cautious hand. “I had known for a long time that this would happen, but now that I am truly here I–” He cuts off.
Demi furrows her brows, a frown on her face as she observes him. Worry etched on his face, a few stray hairs out of place, a hand on his temple as he sighs deeply– he was still taking it all in.
Ominis held his wand loosely, the tip glowing as he continued to use his magic to see. There was hesitance in Demi’s body as she stood up, but her mind told her that this was the right thing to do. Ominis hears her footsteps draw near and he instinctively straightens up his posture.
Demi sits beside him, just a good distance to keep both their spaces respected. The close proximity startled Ominis. It is not everyday that someone would be willing to talk to him boldly, let alone sit right beside him. Despite her initiating this closeness, Demi also found herself stiff as a board, posture straightened and tense.
She clears her throat as she breaks the silence, “Ominis, from the very beginning of our lives, a path had already been set in stone for us both” Ominis heard a small crack in her voice, and the air shifted. There was a strong spark of vulnerability for the first time in the Gaunt Manor, and Ominis was more than welcome to it. He did not want to be the bearer of his name’s legacy. Not when this moment was a catalyst to a possible change.
“We’ve grown to believe we are far superior than others whose lineage do not come purely from wizards and witches. They’ve sown the seeds in the very beginning, molded us like clay to be flawless as we came fresh from the kiln” Her voice quivered, as if scared to even fathom the thoughts she spoke out loud. “I have been reminded day by day that my worth shall only be determined by the quality of man I marry. To secure that, this arranged marriage came to be” She shifts her body, now facing Ominis.
He tilted his head in her direction, a sign that he sees her– truly sees her.
“I am completely and utterly clueless about you. I do not know how you prefer your mornings, your practices when you ease into the night, which particular pastries you like, music that calms your soul,” She chuckles dryly “I truly do not know you at all” This earns a similar dry laugh from Ominis, his countenance growing more eased. The furrow in his brows were gone and his posture loosened.
“I do not know you at all either” He replies quietly before finally letting go of his wand. He never lets go of his wand. It rendered him truly without sight and all he had to rely on was his hearing. But in this circumstance, he did not feel the need to guard himself. He only wanted to hear her. Only her.
“I…” Ominis tried to speak, but there was a significantly large lump in his throat. He forcefully swallowed it down before finally clenching and unclenching his fists, as if to let go of his worries.
“I like waking up to the warm sunlight on my face in the mornings” This earned a small, genuine smile from Demi.
“That’s good. Unfortunately, I prefer the evenings” She whispers back with a smile, and this makes Ominis’s chest feel warm.
Slowly, Demi holds out her hand and carefully reaches over to his fingers. Ominis feels her move, and although hesitant, opens his hand to welcome hers. The touch of her skin on his made him feel soothed. For once in his life, there was intimacy in the midst of his cold home.
At that very moment, Ominis had shared a piece of him with someone else. Others may merely call this a casual conversation, but the young Gaunt had found himself wanting to continue being open. Seen. By some divine intervention from Merlin himself, he had found the one other person like him who made him feel less alone in his little world.
And he was not letting her go any time soon.