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Ominis heard Dorian before he ever spoke with him, in the form of listening to the sound of somebody falling down an entire flight of stairs, followed by an “I’m okay!” shouted from the bottom. The mysterious student then just got up and ran off without so much of a sign of injury. Also a quick apology was spoken as he seemed to run into more people on his way out.
Usually, there would be no reason for Ominis to remember that, but it made what happened next so surprising that he ran the sound in his head over and over again.
“I can’t believe the new fifth year beat you in a duel. You.”
“Probably just luck, however I have a feeling that he’s got the skill for duelling. I even invited him to crosswands.”
“Already? I’m surprised by how quickly you’ve warmed up to the new student.”
“Oh, don’t be jealous. You’re still my favorite.”
“I was impressed by his performance after that tumble this morning.”
“Tumble?”
“He fell down the stairs of the Defence Against The Dark Arts Tower this morning.”
A fellow Slytherin chimed in, “He fell down the Central Hall stairs as well. It seems that the new fifth year is quite the klutz.”
Ominis questioned, “How can someone be a skilled duellist and so clumsy at the same time?”
“I don’t know,” answered Sebastian, “perhaps he is full of surprises.”
- - -
Oh, Ominis was surprised alright! Surprised by people being in places that they weren’t supposed to be! And surprised that Sebastian would share their secret place with some random student just because he was impressed with their wandwork. He knew exactly who it was too based on the fact that he tripped on his way out. His oldest friend was going to get an earful for this.
“Sebastian! How could you? You swore to me that you would keep this a secret!”
“I get why you’re angry, but you can trust Dorian.”
“We don’t know anything about him. I caught him coming out of this place. The blind student caught him! Imagine how easily anyone could find this place because of his carelessness.”
“First of all, you already know where the entrance is. You don’t count. Dorian is not careless. He’s a bit clumsy, I’ll admit. He can keep a secret though. If you can’t trust him, will you at least trust me?”
Ominis knew Sebastian’s impulsive tendencies often got him into trouble, but he also decided to approach Ominis, despite the rumours. Now, Ominis has a friend because of it. Maybe all his impulsive decisions weren’t terrible.
“Fine,” he huffed, “but if he reveals this place don’t say I never told you so.”
“Don’t worry about it. Dorian is nice. You’ll see.”
- - -
The next time that Ominis ran into Dorian he had volunteered to drop something off for Nurse Blainey in the Hospital Wing. As his wand pulsed with magic, he wasn’t expecting to find a familiar form laying on a bed.
“Ominis,” a cheerful voice called out to him, “it’s good to see you outside of class. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Ominis approached him. “I’m just dropping something off. The better question is how did you end up here?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I just fell off a bridge.”
Ominis could do nothing, except blink in confusion. “You… fell off a bridge?”
“Yes,” he said, without any change in tone.
“Was it a small bridge at least?”
“It was the one near the waterfall at Hogsmeade Station.”
“How did you manage to fall off of that!? How are you even alive right now!?”
“Well, I was trying to pop some balloons with spells and it wasn’t working, so I tried to get closer, and I ended up going over the edge.”
“And someone found you all the way down there?”
“No. I had a few wiggenweld potions on me, so I drank enough that I could crawl back to the nearest floo flame location and came here. It was terrifying if I’m being honest, but I’m still alive and that’s what matters.”
Ominis felt a growing concern growing in his stomach as Dorian explained his story. “How can you stay so positive after such an experience?”
He shrugged. “Like I said. I’m still alive. That’s enough about me though. How are you?”
He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “I’m doing fine. Better than you.”
Dorian laughed at that. “I’m happy to hear it.” There was a moment of silence, before he hesitantly said, “Listen, I’m sorry if I upset you at our last meeting.”
Ominis wasn’t expecting an apology. He opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly interrupted.
“That’s enough chit chat for tonight. I’ll take that off your hands Mr. Gaunt. You, Mr. Wilde, should be resting. I don’t want to hear any if, ands, or buts about it.”
“Goodbye, Ominis. Hopefully, I’ll see you again soon.”
“Me too,” he said quietly.
“What was that?”
“A word of advice, you need to be on a broom to pop those balloons.”
“Oooh.”
- - -
Their next meeting was less than pleasant. Trapped in the scriptorium where his aunt died. Now, they were all going to die! If only he refused to open the door like he planned to from the moment Sebastian asked him about it. Then Dorian convinced him. Why did he have to be so friendly and nice? Even with his good intentions, he should have just turned him down. He wished he could be more mad at him, but he was also stuck here and blaming anyone wouldn’t do them any good.
Now, what Sebastian was asking of him was too much. There was no way he was going to cast cruciatus curse again. Sebastian and Dorian would have to find another solution. Sebastian had wit and Dorian had gotten them this far with the puzzles. If anyone could figure out another solution it would be a Ravenclaw. Surely, there had to be another way without crucio (or succumbing to their fate).
“It’s up to us,” Sebastian said in a hushed voice, “I can teach you crucio or I could cast it on you.”
“Wait- You didn’t say you knew how to cast crucio.”
“Because I’m not sure I do.” Then he started speaking more quietly, likely because he knew that whatever he was saying would upset Ominis. Too late for that.
Dorian walked away from Sebastian taking a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
They wouldn’t.
“Crucio!” Sebastian called out as the feeling of dark magic shrieked through the air.
Dorian cried out as he fell to the floor. The screams alone were agonizing to listen to. Memories flashed back to his childhood and the excruciating pain that awaited him that day. He didn’t expect them to actually go through with it. Dorian was strong, but was he strong enough to handle such pain? Almost as soon as it started, it stopped, and Ominis was alone with the sound of deep gasping breaths from the boy curled up on the ground.
“Are you alright,” asked Sebastian.
Ominis flinched back at the sound of one hand slapping another away. An angry, “Don’t-” escaped Dorian’s lips. Then a gasp. “I’m- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just lashed out. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Ominis reassured him. “Nobody would expect you to feel okay after that.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Sebastian said.
“Just take a few deep breaths.” He did as he was told, still sounding teary. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“That pain, it was excruciating.” He took another shaky breath, “But, I’ll be fine. Let’s keep moving.”
Upon reaching the Scriptorium, Dorian found a spellbook.
“You two go ahead. Let me know what’s in it. I’ll wander around a bit.”
He needed time to process what just happened. It was a miracle that Dorian was even standing so soon after torture. And Sebastian casted it. He never would have imagined that his friend had it in him to perform such an act. And against another friend as well. (Did he think of Dorian as a friend? He was certainly Sebastian’s friend, but he was starting to grow on Ominis.) The longer they were in here the more it felt that the scriptorium was starting to affect all of them, whether that was just a feeling or literal was an answer he didn’t care to find out.
“I’ve been getting an uneasy feeling about this place. We shouldn’t linger here. Let’s find a way out, please.”
“I don’t want to leave, but I owe you- both of you.”
“I’ll find us a way out of here.”
They spent a couple of minutes searching, before Ominis heard a slurping sound.
The “supposed to be smart” Ravenclaw let out a gag. “Oh, that is awful!”
“What are you doing,” Sebastian shouted.
“What’s happening,” Ominous asked.
“He drank from a cup in here!”
“You what? Why would you do that!?”
“No need to shout. I drink random things all the time.”
He shook his head. “It’s a miracle that you’re still alive. You do realize that that cup must have been sitting there for hundreds, if not a thousand, years?”
“There could have been some kind of experimental potion in there! Or even blood!”
“Ah, I didn’t think about either of those things.”
“Do you think at all?”
“Very funny. Anyways, I found the exit.”
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner,” asked Ominis.
“I was about to, but then you both started freaking out about the cup thing.”
“Let’s just get out of here.”
After finally exiting the scriptorium, it was time to have a serious discussion about what happened down there.
“Ominis, about your aunt-”
“Please, Sebastian. I meant what I said before. We swear right now never to engage in anything to do with Dark Magic again.”
“Understood. I’m truly sorry about your aunt, Ominis.”
He took a calming breath. “I suppose after all this I am grateful to know what happened to her. Thank you.”
“Dorian, you okay? You don’t look well.”
Ominis didn’t like the sound of that. Dorian wasn’t responding, but his breathing was heavy.
“Dorian?”
“Does there happen to be a lavatory nearby?” That sounded concerning. “I don’t know if it’s the curse or the cup, but I feel like I’m going to vomit.”
The two Slytherins rushed their friend to a stall as quickly as possible. He started retching soon enough. Sebastian guided Ominis’s hands to the back of his scalp.
“You hold back his hair. I’ll go find a professor.” Sebastian ran off down the corridor.
“I didn’t know you had long hair,” he said, holding it back as best as he could.
“It’s just above my shoul- my should-”
Ominis wrinkled his nose at the stench of vomit. “This is why you shouldn’t drink random things. You’ve gone and poisoned yourself.”
“It’s never happened before.”
“How often do you drink random things that this is even a possibility? You know what, don’t answer that. Best you save your strength for when a professor gets here.”
“Don’t do that.”
Ominis knitted his eyebrows. “Sebastian’s already gone to get one. Why don’t you want a professor here?”
“Because I don’t want to get you two in trouble. And the professors think I’m in enough trouble as it is with everything that people say about me. I just-” He threw up again.
“Maybe it’s best if you don’t speak right now.”
Dorian ignored him. “I have to keep making things up to keep secrets. I’m good at it, but I hate lying.”
Secrets? Ominis could feel the sweat on the back of his neck. “You’re delirious. Please stop talking before a professor gets here.”
Dorian nodded.
Soon enough, Sebastian showed up with Professor Sharp in tow and whisked Dorian away to the hospital wing.
Poor Dorian. He’d have to find out later what he ended up telling Nurse Blainey.
- - -
“What did he tell the professors,” Ominis asked.
“He said that he drank from a random mug left out while exploring the Highlands. Sharp gave him the same lecture as we did.”
“Is he okay?”
“You know, visiting hours aren’t over yet and I’m fairly certain that Fig’s visit just finished up. I think he’d enjoy a visit from you.”
So up to the hospital he went. He could hear Dorian and Professor Fig conversing inside. You were ‘fairly certain’ Sebastian.
“Professor, I’m fine. Really, I am. It was just a bout of sickness. That’s all.”
“I know you can handle yourself. I’ve seen what you can handle. Just, promise to be careful. Even after all this time, I still worry about you.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“I best be going now.” Professor Fig opened the door to see Ominis with a hand raised to knock. “Oh, it seems you have another visitor. I’ll leave you to it.”
Ominis confidently walked into the room. He had some important inquiries for him. But first the most important one, “How are you feeling?”
“Better than yesterday. That’s for sure.”
“And you won’t drink out of random glasses anymore?”
“I know I shouldn’t, however one time it was my first time having pumpkin juice, so it can’t be all bad.”
“Dorian,” he scolded through gritted teeth.
“Fine. I promise not to drink out of random glasses anymore.”
“Good,” he smiled. “Now that we have that over with there were some other things I wanted to ask you.”
“Um, okay,” he said in defeat, “Does this have anything to do about what I said yesterday?”
“It does relate to that. I know that you can’t guarantee an answer for everything, but I thought I’d at least try my luck.”
He sighed. “You’re right, but I won’t stop you from asking. As long as nobody else walks into the room. I don’t want Nurse Blainey or any other professors to ask what I’m up to.”
Ominous nodded in agreement. “I know Sebastian offered to teach you about the cruciatus curse. Did you take him up on that offer?”
“The cruciatus curse? No. I don’t think I can want to inflict that kind of pain on someone. I don’t want to be that kind of person. Not that you had a choice,” he quickly backtracked, “It’s just I’m already at risk of hurting others because- I think we should change the subject.”
“Yesterday, in the scriptorium Sebastian said something about feeling left out because he was the only one without a gift. Is that part of the secrets you’re keeping?”
He could hear the rustle of bedsheets as Dorian shifted uncomfortably. “I love my gift, but sometimes it feels like a curse.”
“I understand what that feels like.”
He continued, “I wish I could tell you about it, but I can’t. My gift has put me in danger. The few who know about my gift could be in danger just from knowing its existence. I want to tell you eventually, but not as things are. Sebastian only knows because he saw me use it when we came across Ranrok’s loyalists near Feldcroft.”
“You came across Ranrok’s loyalists?”
“It’s not as if we went looking for them. They found m- us.”
That sounded suspicious, however Dorian had already seemed to share more than he was willing to. “Just one more question. You said you had gotten good at lying. Have you ever lied to me? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“Ominis,” he gently grabbed a hold of Ominis’s hand, “none of our friendship has been a lie. I promise you that.”
Ominous could see it now. Dorian has always thought of him as a friend, even after he snapped at him after he was introduced to the Undercroft. Before they went through anything together, he has always been on Ominis’s side.
“This is going to sound weird, but could I feel your face?”
“Sure, but why?”
“I’d like to get a better look at my friend. I can only sense so much with my wand.”
He placed Ominis’s hands on his cheeks. “Go ahead.”
The first thing he noticed was how soft it was. He giggled as Ominis felt over his smile. Ticklish, he thought. His lashes were long and his face was symmetrical. Then Ominis brushed a hand through his hair. He got a better feel of it now then he did when he was holding it back. Soft and wavy.
“Your hair is nice. I wish I could see what color it is.”
Dorian thought for a moment. “Sunshine. My hair is the same color as the way sunshine feels. That’s how my mother always described it. I miss her,” he said solemnly.
“Do you look like your mother?”
He shook his head. “I’ve never looked like either of my parents. They always told me I looked like my grandmother on my father’s side. I’ve never had the chance to meet her though. I’m glad I got the chance to meet you.”
“...Me too.”