Hello! My name is Rook, they/them, đHufflepuffđ€ and I'm 26 years old! I'm in central standard zone, and live in the US unfortunately. You can find my main blog @serenefreakgeek and my main writing blog at @serenefreakgeekao3
In this blog I only write for Hogwarts Legacy characters, xReaders mainly but I also accept ships!
I brought you a fairy tale about a warm autumn evening, about speed and adrenaline, about luck and the glitter of the golden snitch. Not in every fight the winner is the one on top =)
instead of just a hogwarts legacy fanfic blog, im going to make this into my full HP blog (expect a lot of drarry things as well) just because i dont wanna share HP stuff on my main blog anymore. if y'all dont wanna see that, feel free to unfollow! <3
Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader
(MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor)
part ten of the fancy series - [Table of Contents]
Summary: Your friends rush around to complete their assigned tasks as you sit aside, antsy but unable to help. Or⊠can you?Â
A/N: HELLO. Iâve been gone for so long. You probably thought this part was never coming didnât you? A year of writerâs block is hell on the confidence, surely. Though, a special thank you to @sarahskywalker-amidala who not only commented, but motivated me to actually write out this chapter. Hope it reads as a nice continuation of the story, I really tried to match the tone of the rest of it. Let me know what you think!Â
As it turns out, you have a front-row seat to watch as your plans unfold. It seems Eliza, now ever-so-angry at you, has decided to keep you in her line of sight at all times. Maybe not close by, but you always feel the itch on the back of your neck just to turn and see her there. Standing, sitting- always staring, glaring into your soul. You wouldnât believe such a thing to be possible, but how could you be so sure with all the dark magic she dabbles in?
So yes, she always has you in her sight. Which makes it rather easy to keep her in your own- without raising suspicion, even. You were currently sitting at the Hufflepuff tables in the Great Hall- surprising many, considering you hadnât eaten at this table since the beginning of the school year before you had officially met Ominis. You sat next to Poppy, trying your best to avoid looking antsy or excited as you watched Ominis sit at the red, Gryffindor table.
âYouâre wiggling in your seat you know,â Poppy whispers over before taking a delicate bite with her fork. Youâd just been poking your shepherdâs pie around in circles, turning it into a grey mush, and decided to just sit on your hands instead.
âI know,â You emphasize, glancing up to see Ominis try to take Elizaâs hand, only for her to snatch it away with a look you could only describe as a mix of confusion and infuriation. âBut itâs only my entire life at stake here, you know.â You probably werenât as quiet in your whisper as you shouldâve been, but from the looks you garnered, you think most students assume youâre just exaggerating. If only.
Poppy reaches over to place a hand on your elbow, a gentle smile on her face. âEverything will work out, Y/N. Youâll see.â You stare into her sincere eyes, trying to read her face for any crack, but thereâs none. Itâs almost as if she fully believes her words.
âYouâre so confident?â
âOf course, see,â Poppy nods her head in a direction, and you turn to look. Eliza was storming out of the Great Hall in a hurry, robes fluttering in her furious walk. âItâs working already.â
Ominis takes a deep breath as he crosses the threshold for the Great Hall, feeling the pulse of his magic waver out and around. In his mind, he finds a constructed image of what is around him, while recognizing people by registering the magical cores of those nearby, each different and unique. It wasnât a physical appearance he could see, but instead the shape of their magic, shimmering like a bright light, twisting and flashing. Heâs long since learned to tune out the hundreds of lights surrounding him- even being able to pick out familiar cores from a crowd.
He strode forward, keeping his pace even and his face blank. Heâs had practice with this, of course, strolling the halls of Slytherin Manor with his head held high as if he deserved to be there. As if the cold wash of dark magic that clung to him with every step didnât bother him. The tang of dark magic is hard to distinguish for most, but Ominis has an especially susceptive palate. Which made finding Eliza in the crowd of Gryffindors all the more easy. Once you touch dark magic, youâre forever tainted by it.
Ominis strode to the opposite houseâs table, having never been here before but unwilling to show his awkwardness. Unfortunately, as it seems, two people were sitting on either side of Eliza already. âOh well,â Ominis thought to himself as he stopped behind his target, âI begin my plan before even seating myself.â Ominis leaned down, tapping the shoulder of whoever was sitting to Elizaâs right. He didnât recognize the core, but he never bothered to memorize those that werenât pertinent.
âIf I may be so bold, could I ask for you to make space so I may sit with my fiance?â
He felt the person he tapped begin to move at his request before freezing after registering the end of his sentence. Their head turned toward Eliza, whose head swung quickly to look directly toward Ominis. He was unsure what emotion she felt, but he could feel her core begin to rile up faster and more manic- taking this to mean she likely did not like what Ominis had just admitted to her houseâs table. The student lowered their head almost in submission, resuming their movement until a space just big enough for Ominis was revealed. He doesnât need to read everyoneâs cores nearby to know theyâre interested in whatâs about to happen- as silence falls along this side of the table.
Elegantly, Ominis takes a seat right beside Eliza and reaches forward to feel for a bread roll. It takes a few tries, which feels awkward in the silence surrounding their section, but he manages to snag one and lower it to his lap under the table.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â Eliza hisses into his ear, eerily reminiscent of a snake. âPerhaps she really shouldâve been sorted Slytherin? Sheâs certainly cunning enough for it.â Ominis suddenly feels a hand on his left arm, a fist wrapping around his whole wrist before squeezing to show her disapproval.
âIâm getting to know the woman Iâm spending the rest of my life with,â Ominis answers easily, turning his face toward her direction. He has a bland smile on, refusing to show cracks in his mask. âReally, though. If you had wanted my hand, you couldâve asked me directly you know.â He feels a yank from his arm under the table, either another sign of her displeasure, or perhaps she was trying to pull him in closer. He doesnât move, remaining composed for everyone watching. Her voice lowers further as if she could keep those sitting next to her from hearing.
âStop this now. You know-â She cuts herself off, huffing out a breath.
âKnow what, darling?â Ominis yanks his arm from her, deciding to forgo politeness and placing both elbows atop the table, joining his hands together in front of him while dropping the bread roll among his plates. âThat weâre to be wed directly after graduation?â He leans into her space, attempting a flirty smile on his lips. âI know thatâs only a month from now, but why wait? Weâre to be wed anyway, whatâs the harm in starting early?â
He feels the table shake under his arms as a rather loud slam echoes around their small group, Eliza having slapped a hand down onto the table.
âI am not your plaything,â Eliza growls out, and Ominis couldnât resist huffing out a laugh from the irony. He reaches forward, draping a hand over Elizaâs newly available hand, trying to take it as a loverâs embrace.
âOh, but of course you are, darling.â Eliza yanks her hand away immediately, her core growing larger in his senses, blotting out the students behind her. âDonât you know? Youâre marrying into a pureblood family. Weâre all about tradition. I, of course, will go out and earn myself a respectable job and manage the finances of our home and property. You, my dear Eliza, will mother my children and be my accessory for the balls weâre sure to attend.â Ominis turns his head away, taking up a cloth napkin and snapping it in the air to unfold it, laying it across his lap. âOnce weâre married, youâll be bound to our bond. Youâll do everything I ask and more.â
âIt doesnât work like that!â Eliza yells out, her voice furious, the light of her core flickering with the fog of dark magic, swirling and prodding- trying to get out. âIt wonât be like that!â
âHow little you know of our customs, Eliza,â Ominis begins, letting his voice quiet so the students around them couldnât hear quite as well. It would only raise their curiosity, he hoped. âI wouldâve thought someone of your intelligence wouldâve researched Salazar Slytherinâs marriage ceremony. Being of his descent, we follow along with his rituals exactly.â
âYou-â Eliza began, fidgeting in her seat next to him, before stuttering on, âI- No, it canât-â She was breathing heavily, and Ominis was surprised it had been so easy to rile her up. She wasnât expecting it this time, however, but he was sure she would realize what he was doing soon enough. Eliza stands suddenly, throwing her napkin onto the table and storming away. Ominis dips his fork into what he thinks is shepherdâs pie, raising it to his mouth. âI guess Iâm stuck here for the rest of lunchâŠâ
Natsai was in pain. Perhaps not as much pain as her fatherâs death, or moving away from her home. But sheâd known Eliza for so long- well, thought she knew Eliza. They never officially put a title between them, but they had frequently met up for close talks. Cuddling, whispers, even stolen kisses. It just breaks her heart to remember them now, tainted with the knowledge of Elizaâs dark magic. How could she do such a thing?
âNo, Natsai,â She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. âDonât focus on that now. You have to pretend it doesnât matter. You have to convince her.â Natty takes a look down at the scroll she has in hand before looking around her surroundings frantically. She had heard from multiple Gryffindors that Eliza had run into the library, and Natty was going there to meet her. Just before the doors, she ducks into an alcove, unrolling the parchment.
It was a mess of scrawls in her own hand. She tried to make it look legitimate, like she had scrawled it hastily with the intent to not forget such important details. It was useful, as both âevidenceâ of what she had seen, but also to keep her story straight. She hoped Eliza wouldnât see through her, with her uncanny, piercing eyes. Natty used to find her stare reassuring, like Eliza could see right through Natty to her soul. She had wanted that at one point. Now it just felt invasive.
Taking another deep breath, Natty burst from the alcove and walked with a renewed sense of urgency, trying her best to play the part. She ran down the steps into the library, calling a quiet apology to the librarian who told her to slow down. The library was rather big, but it didnât take as long as sheâd thought to find her. She was sitting in the history section of the library, a dark green tome opened to some old parchment, the ink barely visible from age. Natty didnât bother herself with trying to read it. She pulls out a seat right next to Eliza, plopping herself down into the seat. Eliza seems intent on ignoring her- likely what she wouldâve done if it was anyone but Natsai.
âLook,â Natty begins, and at the sound of her voice Eliza looks up quickly, hope clear in her eyes. She scrambles to close the tome as Natty shakily raises her parchment onto the table. âI know weâre not talking right now because of the fight, but-â Natsai takes in a shaky breath, and has to keep from jumping up once she feels Elizaâs hand lightly across her back. âBut I still-â The words are choking her, forming a lump in her throat.
âNatty?â Eliza speaks her nickname hesitantly, slightly rubbing her hand up and down Natsaiâs back. She has to take a moment to steel herself, but she manages to turn and lock eyes with Eliza.
âBut I still love you. And I donât want you hurt.â Eliza turns from hopeful and astonished, straight toward confused and hesitant once more.
âHurt?â At this, Natty turns back to her slightly torn parchment, unrolling it with a shake of her head.
âI was out gathering herbs when I came across a group of poachers.â Elizaâs hand on her back turns into a fist, but Natty quickly turns to her to try to calm her. âIâm fine, I managed to hide myself away. But I did end up hearing something that they probably didnât want me to hear.â Natty turns back to the parchment, pointing at random words jotted down in scribbles. The parchment looks confusing almost, like a piecemeal of a greater whole. âTheyâre planning to steal everything from you, all of your money and valuables- whatever is in your vault.â âThatâs not possible, no one is able to break into Gringotts.â
âThatâs what I thought too, but,â Natty shakes her head, trying to project confidence, âThey were so sure about it. I donât think theyâd be breaking in. I think they have someone on the inside.â
âWho?â Natty shakes her head again, turning away to look at the parchment. It hurt to look into her eyes for too long at a time.
âThey didnât say, they were careful about that at least. They tried to not say your name, even, but how they described their target- I mean, the hero of Hogwarts is you at this point, everyone thinks so.â Natty watched Eliza preen from the compliment slightly from the corner of her eye. âBut they said without any resources, youâd be weak and then they could strike. I donât know their plans after, but I do know that if we stop that robbery, we can foil their plans from the start.â
After too long a silence, Natty finally turns her head to view Eliza. Her head was nodding absentmindedly as she stared at the paper. âYouâre right, that could probably work. And I could keep an eye down there, see if I can catch whoever is planning this to begin with.â Natty takes a deep breath, hoping her psychology will work in her next step.
âYeah! So all you need to do is just open a second vault, and move all your stuff there! Then you could set a trap in the first one!â Elizaâs brows immediately furrow at her words, and Natsai canât help but feel a little self-satisfied.
âI donât know if thatâll work,â Eliza answers slowly, playing into Nattyâs hands.
âReally? Why not?â
âWell, if they have someone on the inside, then the second vault will still pop up if they look up my name. Iâll need to move everything somewhere thatâs not tied to me.â Finally, Eliza raises her eyes to Natty, locking her there. Eliza leans forward, taking both of Natsaiâs hands in her own. âNatty, you are the only one I trust completely. Would you be willing to open a vault in your name? Iâll be sure no one can link me to you during this, I wouldnât ever want you in harmâs way.â
Natty takes a deep breath, steeling herself further. A pain twists in her gut, wanting nothing more than to lean forward into Elizaâs arms, while also knowing what pain sheâs capable of- what sheâs already done. Natty nods slowly and has to force herself to relax as Eliza leans forward to wrap her arms around Natty, pulling her into a hug.
âIâve missed you so much, Natty.â Nattyâs eyes remain open, staring over Elizaâs shoulder.
âLetâs draft that vault request, shall we?â
Sebastian had skipped classes today. Thatâll surely come back to bite him in the ass.
Oh well.
Sebastian was currently hunkered down in a small village north of Hogsmeade, having done his best to enact his plan. Everything had to be precise- the Auror of the village had to be called away at the right time, the creature had to be ushered into the village after she left, and Eliza had to be sure to show up. It didnât take much sleuthing though, to find out that Eliza was just as well-known and liked in this village as she was back in Hogwarts proper. Knowing this, she likely knew the Auror living here, so Sebastian decided to steal a paper from the Aurorâs home to learn her handwriting. Then he forged a letter that invites Eliza down for an important discussion, the details just vague enough that even Sebastian wouldâve been curious enough to take up the offer.
Heâs been keeping an eye on the sky, watching for her broom for the last hour. It feels like three, but Sebastian had never excelled at patience. Heâll leave that to Poppy and Y/N, their own houseâs ideals focused around that. Sebastian was plucking grass from the ground, letting it flutter away in the light breeze before repeating the gesture, blowing through his lips in boredom. Heâd been so zoned out that he almost missed the dot of Eliza appearing in the distance, scrambling down quickly from his vantage point. He throws his wand outward, shooting a spark off in the distance thatâs hopefully hidden from Elizaâs view.
The spark acts as two parts of his plans- he watches as Auror Ruth Singer notices the flare and immediately grabs the broom beside her, apologizing to whom she was speaking before jumping up and rushing in the direction. Nodding, Sebastian turns his attention downward, below the cliff. As predicted, the flare awoke the ogre he had managed to poke and prod into place, angering it. (That had taken the majority of his day, and had cost him his new pants, sporting a large hole in the knee.) It slams its club twice against the cliff before running up the path to the village.
Eliza lands near the Aurorâs home, jumping off of her broom and setting it aside before approaching the villager that the Auror had just been speaking to. The person points off in the direction that she had flown- and ends up pointing directly at the ogre as it runs into the village with a loud roar. Sebastian hunkers down further, unwilling to be seen. As predicted, Eliza springs into action. Reds, blues, spells are flung from Elizaâs wand as she approaches calmly. Sebastian knew this would be an easy battle for her, but that wasnât the point. He reaches down quickly, taking hold of the large contraption in his bag.
Once green begins to fly from Elizaâs wand, Sebastian feels sheâs suitably distracted. He jumps on his own broom, flying down closer to get a better vantage. Sheâs making a show of the fight for the villagers, who have all cautiously gathered around in curiosity. Sebastian lugs up the camera from his bag, trying to hold it still and catch the perfect shot from beside a house. Just as Eliza is finishing off the Ogre, keeping it from grabbing a nearby villager, Sebastian takes the photo.
Then, promptly takes his leave. He has a letter to write to the Prophet.
âDear Merwilda Gaunt,
To say I was surprised when you accepted Elizaâs proposal would be the understatement of the century, though I wouldnât dare to doubt the plans formulating inside your masterful mind. Although, Eliza Fig, really? Sure, sheâs a pureblood, but a poverty-stricken, muggle-loving witch at that. However, itâs beyond my place to speak of such matters, Iâm sure. At least I know that Iâll find a like-minded soul with her, so thank you for that.
Your ignoble son,
Ominis Gauntâ
âIgnoble?â Poppy questions, sitting amongst the group of you and your friends in the Undercroft, most holding their own letters they need to send out. Ominis sighs at your side, reaching a hand out to take your own. You flip your hand over, lacing your fingers with his, and take pride as you watch his shoulders visibly relax. The quill that had been dictating Ominisâ words falls to the table, now inactive as the ink dries.
âIgnoble is to be of low birth, or common origin. Iâm trying to impress upon her my âlowlyâ status in her eyes.â Sebastian scoffs at Ominisâ words, speaking up in response.
âOk dictionary, calm down with the definitions there.â
âWell, I did ask,â Poppy acquiesces, shrugging her shoulders. Sebastian, sitting at her side, just leans over and bumps his shoulder against hers. Youâre unsure of the significance, but they share a smile that seems just for them.
âI have Elizaâs written vault transfer request, as well as my own request to open the new vault in my name. I-â She chuckles, shaking her head as she taps the papers against the table, âIâm surprised she went along with it.â
âIâm not,â You whisper, trying to send a sympathetic smile toward her. She only sniffs in response, sitting straighter in her chair. Garreth finally chimes in, resting his elbows on the table while leaning against them, his shoulders hunched forward.
âSo, we have the vault transfer request, to move Elizaâs money. We have the news report,â He nods toward Sebastianâs mix of a letter and a few different copies of the picture he had taken at some point- you were unsure when considering it wasnât a free day from classes- as heâs trying to shove all of the items into an envelope. Poppy reaches over and gentles his hands, helping him fit them all without tearing. âAnd we have the letter to Ominisâ mother to check on both. Is there anything weâre missing?â
âThe trap,â Natty speaks up, finally laying her papers on the table and leaning forward. Sebastianâs face crumples in confusion, wrinkles appearing on his forehead while his nose scrunches.
âTrap? Thatâs what weâre doing now.â
âNo,â Natty explains, lifting her hands in the air in emphasis, âThe trap in Elizaâs vault. She wants to try to catch the supposed thief, right? So thatâs when we do it! Sheâll no doubt use an unforgivable, and getting an Auror down into the vaults of Gringotts shouldnât be too hard if we mention that thereâs a robbery happening. Theyâll catch her!â
âI thought we dropped this,â Garreth mumbled, moving to rub his face with his hands. âWe are not subjecting anyone to the unforgivables, even if we arenât casting it. Even just to get Eliza arrested. We canât plan something like that without being guilty ourselves.â
âBut-â Natty begins, but Sebastian interrupts, Poppy next to him shaking her head lightly toward Natty with an expression of pity.
âNo, Natty. We can figure out a plan to deal with Eliza after we save our friend.â Sebastian nods toward Ominis, Poppy nodding along to his words now as she places her hand on Sebastianâs arm.
âLike Garreth said. If we plan for Eliza to use the Unforgivable, then weâre just as in the wrong.â You watch Natty slump, a flash of pain crossing her face before she hardens her expression. She turns, locking eyes with you. It feels significant- youâre unsure why but you have a feeling that youâll find out soon enough.
âIf thereâs nothing else, letâs get to the Owlery. The sooner we send these off, the better.â Garreth stands, already taking a few steps toward the exit while also waiting for the rest of you. Poppy giggles, shaking her head as she stands to meet him.
âYou just want to go to sleep sooner.â
âWell, yeah! Iâve been missing a lot of sleep, meeting up with you guys here!â
âAre you sure itâs not all the early-morning âsecretâ potion brewing youâve been doing?â Poppy questions, causing Garreth to scoff and retort. Your attention is drawn away, however, to Ominis and Sebastian as they flank you toward the exit.
âDo you really think this could work?â Ominis whispers under the laughter of your friends, and both you and Sebastian turn toward him immediately. The insecurity that colours his voice hurts you, and of course youâre not sure. This all seems too mad, you donât think youâve even fully processed the implications of whatâll happen if it doesnât work.
âOf course, itâll work,â Sebastian immediately pipes up, following the too-long beat when you hadnât responded. âItâs going to work.â Ominisâ hand, still linked with yours, squeezes gently as if asking for your reply. You bite your lip, unafraid of showing your fear on your face. Sebastian raises his eyebrows toward you, nodding his head toward Ominis. With a deep breath, youâre able to respond.
âYes,â It comes out in a hiss, so you clear your throat and try again. âYes. This will work.â You stare into the distance- toward your friends, but through them. If it didnât? If Eliza is allowed to marry Ominis, ruining whatâs building between the two of you, then what else would she do? Certainly, she wouldnât stop there. âIt has to work.â
Her eyes bore into you from across the Great Hall, though today youâve decided not to let her know you care. You refuse to meet her eyeline, trying your best to pay attention to Poppyâs early-morning ramble about the new creature thatâs to be arriving soon, and how exactly she plans to befriend and groom it. You werenât even sure what the creature was at this point, having lost focus on her words so many times. You just nod along to her, trying your best to engage in the conversation.
Itâs almost nice, sitting back at the Hufflepuff table. Being surrounded by your own house colours felt like a barrier that Eliza couldnât cross. Though, you knew youâd feel much better if Ominis had been sitting next to you as well. Unfortunately for both of you, Ominis was sitting right next to Eliza once again. (Known to you from Poppyâs words, mixed in amongst her rambles so that youâd know without having to turn her direction.)
The conversations in the hall begin to grow louder in excitement, and you raise your head hopefully toward the high windows. The morning delivery was starting, flocks of owls ducking in and dropping packages, letters, and newspapers amongst the entirety of the room. The hall was a flurry of motion, but you were determined. You grabbed the closest copy of the Prophet you could, looking down toward the headline amongst the chaos.
ELIZA FIG SAVES MUGGLEBORN AND MUGGLES ALIKE - ANOTHER NAME TO ABOLISH BLOOD PURITY
You try to keep your expression neutral, flippantly turning a page as if the front page wasnât heralding exactly what you wanted to see. Pretending to read the paper, you managed to keep yourself from jumping as an enchanted note fluttered up from under the table. Someone was likely using the chaos of the room to send it to you without notice. It unfolds and lays itself against your newspaper, revealing its contents.
âYou know what we need to do. Letâs talk. - Natsaiâ
Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader
(MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor)
part ten of the fancy series - [Table of Contents]
Summary: Your friends rush around to complete their assigned tasks as you sit aside, antsy but unable to help. Or⊠can you?Â
A/N: HELLO. Iâve been gone for so long. You probably thought this part was never coming didnât you? A year of writerâs block is hell on the confidence, surely. Though, a special thank you to @sarahskywalker-amidala who not only commented, but motivated me to actually write out this chapter. Hope it reads as a nice continuation of the story, I really tried to match the tone of the rest of it. Let me know what you think!Â
As it turns out, you have a front-row seat to watch as your plans unfold. It seems Eliza, now ever-so-angry at you, has decided to keep you in her line of sight at all times. Maybe not close by, but you always feel the itch on the back of your neck just to turn and see her there. Standing, sitting- always staring, glaring into your soul. You wouldnât believe such a thing to be possible, but how could you be so sure with all the dark magic she dabbles in?
So yes, she always has you in her sight. Which makes it rather easy to keep her in your own- without raising suspicion, even. You were currently sitting at the Hufflepuff tables in the Great Hall- surprising many, considering you hadnât eaten at this table since the beginning of the school year before you had officially met Ominis. You sat next to Poppy, trying your best to avoid looking antsy or excited as you watched Ominis sit at the red, Gryffindor table.
âYouâre wiggling in your seat you know,â Poppy whispers over before taking a delicate bite with her fork. Youâd just been poking your shepherdâs pie around in circles, turning it into a grey mush, and decided to just sit on your hands instead.
âI know,â You emphasize, glancing up to see Ominis try to take Elizaâs hand, only for her to snatch it away with a look you could only describe as a mix of confusion and infuriation. âBut itâs only my entire life at stake here, you know.â You probably werenât as quiet in your whisper as you shouldâve been, but from the looks you garnered, you think most students assume youâre just exaggerating. If only.
Poppy reaches over to place a hand on your elbow, a gentle smile on her face. âEverything will work out, Y/N. Youâll see.â You stare into her sincere eyes, trying to read her face for any crack, but thereâs none. Itâs almost as if she fully believes her words.
âYouâre so confident?â
âOf course, see,â Poppy nods her head in a direction, and you turn to look. Eliza was storming out of the Great Hall in a hurry, robes fluttering in her furious walk. âItâs working already.â
Ominis takes a deep breath as he crosses the threshold for the Great Hall, feeling the pulse of his magic waver out and around. In his mind, he finds a constructed image of what is around him, while recognizing people by registering the magical cores of those nearby, each different and unique. It wasnât a physical appearance he could see, but instead the shape of their magic, shimmering like a bright light, twisting and flashing. Heâs long since learned to tune out the hundreds of lights surrounding him- even being able to pick out familiar cores from a crowd.
He strode forward, keeping his pace even and his face blank. Heâs had practice with this, of course, strolling the halls of Slytherin Manor with his head held high as if he deserved to be there. As if the cold wash of dark magic that clung to him with every step didnât bother him. The tang of dark magic is hard to distinguish for most, but Ominis has an especially susceptive palate. Which made finding Eliza in the crowd of Gryffindors all the more easy. Once you touch dark magic, youâre forever tainted by it.
Ominis strode to the opposite houseâs table, having never been here before but unwilling to show his awkwardness. Unfortunately, as it seems, two people were sitting on either side of Eliza already. âOh well,â Ominis thought to himself as he stopped behind his target, âI begin my plan before even seating myself.â Ominis leaned down, tapping the shoulder of whoever was sitting to Elizaâs right. He didnât recognize the core, but he never bothered to memorize those that werenât pertinent.
âIf I may be so bold, could I ask for you to make space so I may sit with my fiance?â
He felt the person he tapped begin to move at his request before freezing after registering the end of his sentence. Their head turned toward Eliza, whose head swung quickly to look directly toward Ominis. He was unsure what emotion she felt, but he could feel her core begin to rile up faster and more manic- taking this to mean she likely did not like what Ominis had just admitted to her houseâs table. The student lowered their head almost in submission, resuming their movement until a space just big enough for Ominis was revealed. He doesnât need to read everyoneâs cores nearby to know theyâre interested in whatâs about to happen- as silence falls along this side of the table.
Elegantly, Ominis takes a seat right beside Eliza and reaches forward to feel for a bread roll. It takes a few tries, which feels awkward in the silence surrounding their section, but he manages to snag one and lower it to his lap under the table.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â Eliza hisses into his ear, eerily reminiscent of a snake. âPerhaps she really shouldâve been sorted Slytherin? Sheâs certainly cunning enough for it.â Ominis suddenly feels a hand on his left arm, a fist wrapping around his whole wrist before squeezing to show her disapproval.
âIâm getting to know the woman Iâm spending the rest of my life with,â Ominis answers easily, turning his face toward her direction. He has a bland smile on, refusing to show cracks in his mask. âReally, though. If you had wanted my hand, you couldâve asked me directly you know.â He feels a yank from his arm under the table, either another sign of her displeasure, or perhaps she was trying to pull him in closer. He doesnât move, remaining composed for everyone watching. Her voice lowers further as if she could keep those sitting next to her from hearing.
âStop this now. You know-â She cuts herself off, huffing out a breath.
âKnow what, darling?â Ominis yanks his arm from her, deciding to forgo politeness and placing both elbows atop the table, joining his hands together in front of him while dropping the bread roll among his plates. âThat weâre to be wed directly after graduation?â He leans into her space, attempting a flirty smile on his lips. âI know thatâs only a month from now, but why wait? Weâre to be wed anyway, whatâs the harm in starting early?â
He feels the table shake under his arms as a rather loud slam echoes around their small group, Eliza having slapped a hand down onto the table.
âI am not your plaything,â Eliza growls out, and Ominis couldnât resist huffing out a laugh from the irony. He reaches forward, draping a hand over Elizaâs newly available hand, trying to take it as a loverâs embrace.
âOh, but of course you are, darling.â Eliza yanks her hand away immediately, her core growing larger in his senses, blotting out the students behind her. âDonât you know? Youâre marrying into a pureblood family. Weâre all about tradition. I, of course, will go out and earn myself a respectable job and manage the finances of our home and property. You, my dear Eliza, will mother my children and be my accessory for the balls weâre sure to attend.â Ominis turns his head away, taking up a cloth napkin and snapping it in the air to unfold it, laying it across his lap. âOnce weâre married, youâll be bound to our bond. Youâll do everything I ask and more.â
âIt doesnât work like that!â Eliza yells out, her voice furious, the light of her core flickering with the fog of dark magic, swirling and prodding- trying to get out. âIt wonât be like that!â
âHow little you know of our customs, Eliza,â Ominis begins, letting his voice quiet so the students around them couldnât hear quite as well. It would only raise their curiosity, he hoped. âI wouldâve thought someone of your intelligence wouldâve researched Salazar Slytherinâs marriage ceremony. Being of his descent, we follow along with his rituals exactly.â
âYou-â Eliza began, fidgeting in her seat next to him, before stuttering on, âI- No, it canât-â She was breathing heavily, and Ominis was surprised it had been so easy to rile her up. She wasnât expecting it this time, however, but he was sure she would realize what he was doing soon enough. Eliza stands suddenly, throwing her napkin onto the table and storming away. Ominis dips his fork into what he thinks is shepherdâs pie, raising it to his mouth. âI guess Iâm stuck here for the rest of lunchâŠâ
Natsai was in pain. Perhaps not as much pain as her fatherâs death, or moving away from her home. But sheâd known Eliza for so long- well, thought she knew Eliza. They never officially put a title between them, but they had frequently met up for close talks. Cuddling, whispers, even stolen kisses. It just breaks her heart to remember them now, tainted with the knowledge of Elizaâs dark magic. How could she do such a thing?
âNo, Natsai,â She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. âDonât focus on that now. You have to pretend it doesnât matter. You have to convince her.â Natty takes a look down at the scroll she has in hand before looking around her surroundings frantically. She had heard from multiple Gryffindors that Eliza had run into the library, and Natty was going there to meet her. Just before the doors, she ducks into an alcove, unrolling the parchment.
It was a mess of scrawls in her own hand. She tried to make it look legitimate, like she had scrawled it hastily with the intent to not forget such important details. It was useful, as both âevidenceâ of what she had seen, but also to keep her story straight. She hoped Eliza wouldnât see through her, with her uncanny, piercing eyes. Natty used to find her stare reassuring, like Eliza could see right through Natty to her soul. She had wanted that at one point. Now it just felt invasive.
Taking another deep breath, Natty burst from the alcove and walked with a renewed sense of urgency, trying her best to play the part. She ran down the steps into the library, calling a quiet apology to the librarian who told her to slow down. The library was rather big, but it didnât take as long as sheâd thought to find her. She was sitting in the history section of the library, a dark green tome opened to some old parchment, the ink barely visible from age. Natty didnât bother herself with trying to read it. She pulls out a seat right next to Eliza, plopping herself down into the seat. Eliza seems intent on ignoring her- likely what she wouldâve done if it was anyone but Natsai.
âLook,â Natty begins, and at the sound of her voice Eliza looks up quickly, hope clear in her eyes. She scrambles to close the tome as Natty shakily raises her parchment onto the table. âI know weâre not talking right now because of the fight, but-â Natsai takes in a shaky breath, and has to keep from jumping up once she feels Elizaâs hand lightly across her back. âBut I still-â The words are choking her, forming a lump in her throat.
âNatty?â Eliza speaks her nickname hesitantly, slightly rubbing her hand up and down Natsaiâs back. She has to take a moment to steel herself, but she manages to turn and lock eyes with Eliza.
âBut I still love you. And I donât want you hurt.â Eliza turns from hopeful and astonished, straight toward confused and hesitant once more.
âHurt?â At this, Natty turns back to her slightly torn parchment, unrolling it with a shake of her head.
âI was out gathering herbs when I came across a group of poachers.â Elizaâs hand on her back turns into a fist, but Natty quickly turns to her to try to calm her. âIâm fine, I managed to hide myself away. But I did end up hearing something that they probably didnât want me to hear.â Natty turns back to the parchment, pointing at random words jotted down in scribbles. The parchment looks confusing almost, like a piecemeal of a greater whole. âTheyâre planning to steal everything from you, all of your money and valuables- whatever is in your vault.â âThatâs not possible, no one is able to break into Gringotts.â
âThatâs what I thought too, but,â Natty shakes her head, trying to project confidence, âThey were so sure about it. I donât think theyâd be breaking in. I think they have someone on the inside.â
âWho?â Natty shakes her head again, turning away to look at the parchment. It hurt to look into her eyes for too long at a time.
âThey didnât say, they were careful about that at least. They tried to not say your name, even, but how they described their target- I mean, the hero of Hogwarts is you at this point, everyone thinks so.â Natty watched Eliza preen from the compliment slightly from the corner of her eye. âBut they said without any resources, youâd be weak and then they could strike. I donât know their plans after, but I do know that if we stop that robbery, we can foil their plans from the start.â
After too long a silence, Natty finally turns her head to view Eliza. Her head was nodding absentmindedly as she stared at the paper. âYouâre right, that could probably work. And I could keep an eye down there, see if I can catch whoever is planning this to begin with.â Natty takes a deep breath, hoping her psychology will work in her next step.
âYeah! So all you need to do is just open a second vault, and move all your stuff there! Then you could set a trap in the first one!â Elizaâs brows immediately furrow at her words, and Natsai canât help but feel a little self-satisfied.
âI donât know if thatâll work,â Eliza answers slowly, playing into Nattyâs hands.
âReally? Why not?â
âWell, if they have someone on the inside, then the second vault will still pop up if they look up my name. Iâll need to move everything somewhere thatâs not tied to me.â Finally, Eliza raises her eyes to Natty, locking her there. Eliza leans forward, taking both of Natsaiâs hands in her own. âNatty, you are the only one I trust completely. Would you be willing to open a vault in your name? Iâll be sure no one can link me to you during this, I wouldnât ever want you in harmâs way.â
Natty takes a deep breath, steeling herself further. A pain twists in her gut, wanting nothing more than to lean forward into Elizaâs arms, while also knowing what pain sheâs capable of- what sheâs already done. Natty nods slowly and has to force herself to relax as Eliza leans forward to wrap her arms around Natty, pulling her into a hug.
âIâve missed you so much, Natty.â Nattyâs eyes remain open, staring over Elizaâs shoulder.
âLetâs draft that vault request, shall we?â
Sebastian had skipped classes today. Thatâll surely come back to bite him in the ass.
Oh well.
Sebastian was currently hunkered down in a small village north of Hogsmeade, having done his best to enact his plan. Everything had to be precise- the Auror of the village had to be called away at the right time, the creature had to be ushered into the village after she left, and Eliza had to be sure to show up. It didnât take much sleuthing though, to find out that Eliza was just as well-known and liked in this village as she was back in Hogwarts proper. Knowing this, she likely knew the Auror living here, so Sebastian decided to steal a paper from the Aurorâs home to learn her handwriting. Then he forged a letter that invites Eliza down for an important discussion, the details just vague enough that even Sebastian wouldâve been curious enough to take up the offer.
Heâs been keeping an eye on the sky, watching for her broom for the last hour. It feels like three, but Sebastian had never excelled at patience. Heâll leave that to Poppy and Y/N, their own houseâs ideals focused around that. Sebastian was plucking grass from the ground, letting it flutter away in the light breeze before repeating the gesture, blowing through his lips in boredom. Heâd been so zoned out that he almost missed the dot of Eliza appearing in the distance, scrambling down quickly from his vantage point. He throws his wand outward, shooting a spark off in the distance thatâs hopefully hidden from Elizaâs view.
The spark acts as two parts of his plans- he watches as Auror Ruth Singer notices the flare and immediately grabs the broom beside her, apologizing to whom she was speaking before jumping up and rushing in the direction. Nodding, Sebastian turns his attention downward, below the cliff. As predicted, the flare awoke the ogre he had managed to poke and prod into place, angering it. (That had taken the majority of his day, and had cost him his new pants, sporting a large hole in the knee.) It slams its club twice against the cliff before running up the path to the village.
Eliza lands near the Aurorâs home, jumping off of her broom and setting it aside before approaching the villager that the Auror had just been speaking to. The person points off in the direction that she had flown- and ends up pointing directly at the ogre as it runs into the village with a loud roar. Sebastian hunkers down further, unwilling to be seen. As predicted, Eliza springs into action. Reds, blues, spells are flung from Elizaâs wand as she approaches calmly. Sebastian knew this would be an easy battle for her, but that wasnât the point. He reaches down quickly, taking hold of the large contraption in his bag.
Once green begins to fly from Elizaâs wand, Sebastian feels sheâs suitably distracted. He jumps on his own broom, flying down closer to get a better vantage. Sheâs making a show of the fight for the villagers, who have all cautiously gathered around in curiosity. Sebastian lugs up the camera from his bag, trying to hold it still and catch the perfect shot from beside a house. Just as Eliza is finishing off the Ogre, keeping it from grabbing a nearby villager, Sebastian takes the photo.
Then, promptly takes his leave. He has a letter to write to the Prophet.
âDear Merwilda Gaunt,
To say I was surprised when you accepted Elizaâs proposal would be the understatement of the century, though I wouldnât dare to doubt the plans formulating inside your masterful mind. Although, Eliza Fig, really? Sure, sheâs a pureblood, but a poverty-stricken, muggle-loving witch at that. However, itâs beyond my place to speak of such matters, Iâm sure. At least I know that Iâll find a like-minded soul with her, so thank you for that.
Your ignoble son,
Ominis Gauntâ
âIgnoble?â Poppy questions, sitting amongst the group of you and your friends in the Undercroft, most holding their own letters they need to send out. Ominis sighs at your side, reaching a hand out to take your own. You flip your hand over, lacing your fingers with his, and take pride as you watch his shoulders visibly relax. The quill that had been dictating Ominisâ words falls to the table, now inactive as the ink dries.
âIgnoble is to be of low birth, or common origin. Iâm trying to impress upon her my âlowlyâ status in her eyes.â Sebastian scoffs at Ominisâ words, speaking up in response.
âOk dictionary, calm down with the definitions there.â
âWell, I did ask,â Poppy acquiesces, shrugging her shoulders. Sebastian, sitting at her side, just leans over and bumps his shoulder against hers. Youâre unsure of the significance, but they share a smile that seems just for them.
âI have Elizaâs written vault transfer request, as well as my own request to open the new vault in my name. I-â She chuckles, shaking her head as she taps the papers against the table, âIâm surprised she went along with it.â
âIâm not,â You whisper, trying to send a sympathetic smile toward her. She only sniffs in response, sitting straighter in her chair. Garreth finally chimes in, resting his elbows on the table while leaning against them, his shoulders hunched forward.
âSo, we have the vault transfer request, to move Elizaâs money. We have the news report,â He nods toward Sebastianâs mix of a letter and a few different copies of the picture he had taken at some point- you were unsure when considering it wasnât a free day from classes- as heâs trying to shove all of the items into an envelope. Poppy reaches over and gentles his hands, helping him fit them all without tearing. âAnd we have the letter to Ominisâ mother to check on both. Is there anything weâre missing?â
âThe trap,â Natty speaks up, finally laying her papers on the table and leaning forward. Sebastianâs face crumples in confusion, wrinkles appearing on his forehead while his nose scrunches.
âTrap? Thatâs what weâre doing now.â
âNo,â Natty explains, lifting her hands in the air in emphasis, âThe trap in Elizaâs vault. She wants to try to catch the supposed thief, right? So thatâs when we do it! Sheâll no doubt use an unforgivable, and getting an Auror down into the vaults of Gringotts shouldnât be too hard if we mention that thereâs a robbery happening. Theyâll catch her!â
âI thought we dropped this,â Garreth mumbled, moving to rub his face with his hands. âWe are not subjecting anyone to the unforgivables, even if we arenât casting it. Even just to get Eliza arrested. We canât plan something like that without being guilty ourselves.â
âBut-â Natty begins, but Sebastian interrupts, Poppy next to him shaking her head lightly toward Natty with an expression of pity.
âNo, Natty. We can figure out a plan to deal with Eliza after we save our friend.â Sebastian nods toward Ominis, Poppy nodding along to his words now as she places her hand on Sebastianâs arm.
âLike Garreth said. If we plan for Eliza to use the Unforgivable, then weâre just as in the wrong.â You watch Natty slump, a flash of pain crossing her face before she hardens her expression. She turns, locking eyes with you. It feels significant- youâre unsure why but you have a feeling that youâll find out soon enough.
âIf thereâs nothing else, letâs get to the Owlery. The sooner we send these off, the better.â Garreth stands, already taking a few steps toward the exit while also waiting for the rest of you. Poppy giggles, shaking her head as she stands to meet him.
âYou just want to go to sleep sooner.â
âWell, yeah! Iâve been missing a lot of sleep, meeting up with you guys here!â
âAre you sure itâs not all the early-morning âsecretâ potion brewing youâve been doing?â Poppy questions, causing Garreth to scoff and retort. Your attention is drawn away, however, to Ominis and Sebastian as they flank you toward the exit.
âDo you really think this could work?â Ominis whispers under the laughter of your friends, and both you and Sebastian turn toward him immediately. The insecurity that colours his voice hurts you, and of course youâre not sure. This all seems too mad, you donât think youâve even fully processed the implications of whatâll happen if it doesnât work.
âOf course, itâll work,â Sebastian immediately pipes up, following the too-long beat when you hadnât responded. âItâs going to work.â Ominisâ hand, still linked with yours, squeezes gently as if asking for your reply. You bite your lip, unafraid of showing your fear on your face. Sebastian raises his eyebrows toward you, nodding his head toward Ominis. With a deep breath, youâre able to respond.
âYes,â It comes out in a hiss, so you clear your throat and try again. âYes. This will work.â You stare into the distance- toward your friends, but through them. If it didnât? If Eliza is allowed to marry Ominis, ruining whatâs building between the two of you, then what else would she do? Certainly, she wouldnât stop there. âIt has to work.â
Her eyes bore into you from across the Great Hall, though today youâve decided not to let her know you care. You refuse to meet her eyeline, trying your best to pay attention to Poppyâs early-morning ramble about the new creature thatâs to be arriving soon, and how exactly she plans to befriend and groom it. You werenât even sure what the creature was at this point, having lost focus on her words so many times. You just nod along to her, trying your best to engage in the conversation.
Itâs almost nice, sitting back at the Hufflepuff table. Being surrounded by your own house colours felt like a barrier that Eliza couldnât cross. Though, you knew youâd feel much better if Ominis had been sitting next to you as well. Unfortunately for both of you, Ominis was sitting right next to Eliza once again. (Known to you from Poppyâs words, mixed in amongst her rambles so that youâd know without having to turn her direction.)
The conversations in the hall begin to grow louder in excitement, and you raise your head hopefully toward the high windows. The morning delivery was starting, flocks of owls ducking in and dropping packages, letters, and newspapers amongst the entirety of the room. The hall was a flurry of motion, but you were determined. You grabbed the closest copy of the Prophet you could, looking down toward the headline amongst the chaos.
ELIZA FIG SAVES MUGGLEBORN AND MUGGLES ALIKE - ANOTHER NAME TO ABOLISH BLOOD PURITY
You try to keep your expression neutral, flippantly turning a page as if the front page wasnât heralding exactly what you wanted to see. Pretending to read the paper, you managed to keep yourself from jumping as an enchanted note fluttered up from under the table. Someone was likely using the chaos of the room to send it to you without notice. It unfolds and lays itself against your newspaper, revealing its contents.
âYou know what we need to do. Letâs talk. - Natsaiâ
I haven't drawn fan art in ages, but I played a lot of Hogwarts Legacy during the vacations. I really liked the character of Ominis. Now fanfiction he's my guilty pleasure.
Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader
(MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor)
part nine of the fancy series - [ToC]
Summary: Ominis has received a letter from none other than his mother, speaking of horrifying news. However, this is just another obstacle to overcome. Surely thereâs something you can do?
After that particular revelation (in case you missed it, Ominis is now engaged), Sebastian had set about corralling you and Ominis both down toward the Undercroft. You didnât even really remember half the journey until Ominis had stopped the lot of you to grab your arms, half shaking you and begging you to answer him. When you hummed in response, you heard a quick, âThis isnât the place for this conversation, Ominis,â from Sebastian before he continued to push the both of you toward the hidden room.
You didnât pay any mind to the fact that you had classes coming up soon, this new information rocking you to your core. What were you supposed to do with this information? What had he meant by defective?
âAlright Ominis, I think itâs time we read that letter.â You blinked and looked around, realizing you were already in the Undercroft. Ominis, who apparently had not stopped clutching that damned letter, practically threw the piece of paper at Sebastian before approaching you. He placed his hands on your arms once more, ducking his head as if he could look into your eyes.
âY/N, say something, please.â
âIâm here, Ominis,â You mumble, watching his shoulders relax before he wraps you into his arms, pulling you close. As you rest your head against his chest you begin to wonder how many more times youâre allowed to do this. Were you even allowed to right now? âSo does this mean-â
âThis means nothing, Y/N.â The conviction in Ominisâ voice would usually be comforting. Even now, you found it hard not to be comforted and he pulls you closer, rubbing his cheek against your head, â Nothing for us, anyway.â
âBut, Ominis,â You sigh, pulling back. He lets you, hesitantly, as if he doesnât want to let go. âThis means everything.â
âY/N, I-â
âI donât know how far you were thinking, Ominis,â You mumble, lowering your voice as you stare at the green stripes on his tie, âAnd granted, I wasnât specifically thinking of marriage either. But- well, it wouldâve been nice. Eventually. But we canât even be together if-â
âDonât say that, Y/N.â The pain in his voice, in his face, as you looked up, caused a surge of the same to spear through your heart.
âWhat else am I supposed to say, Ominis?â Your eyes tear up as you stare up at the man you loved- and yes, love, how inconvenient a time to realize that. You reach to take his hands into yours, pulling them up to your chest. âWhat can we do, Ominis?â
âAnything,â Ominis begs, pulling your conjoined hands up and pressing kisses to your own. âAnything, please. As long as youâre by my side, then I know I can fight this. We can fight this.â You sniff, watching the pain on his face as if looking in a mirror.
âIâll always be by your side Ominis.â You watch his face crumple with relief, pulling your hands up once more to lay his lips across your hands. He left them there, closing his eyes and looking as if he were in prayer.
âOminis,â Sebastian calls from a few feet away, sitting on a dusty wooden chair and hunched over the piece of parchment. âHow far into this letter did you go?â
âNot very,â He calls out toward him, emotions clear in his voice. He clears his throat, opening his eyes to look in your general direction. âJust enough to get the gist of the letter.â
âI donât think youâll like the rest of it either,â Sebastian mumbles, raising a hand to chew at his thumbnail. You bounce back and forth on your feet, biting your lip as you watch your friend read the paper you desperately wished you could read.
âRead it aloud, Sebastian,â Ominis calls out suddenly, and you raised surprised eyes up to Ominis. Sebastian mustâve been feeling the same, as the hesitancy was evident in his voice.
âAre you sure about that, Ominis?â
âY/N wants to hear it,â Ominis mumbles back, pulling you close and wrapping his arms around you once more. âLet them hear it.â Sebastian pulls a face but clears his throat anyway.
âDear my inutile son,
For however many discussions weâve had on this topic, it seems a miracle has happened. I know weâve all made agreements, arrangements that must now be broken. When we accepted your pleas of avoidance, to leave your comforting family behind, we were so sure you would bring nothing but misery to this home. So we had agreed, as you know, with our own terms that you had readily subjected yourself to. Really, what Gaunt would willingly lower themself to such a standard of living? Muggles, really?
In any case, our family has been saved with an offer from the grace of Merlin, surely. A letter was sent to our home, inside written with intentions and feelings and all those little things that the kids your age tend to think mean a lot more than they do. Inside was something that your father and I searched for, at length, for an absurd amount of time for the solution to just be dropped into our lap. It seems that such a lovely, pureblooded woman not only wants your hand in marriage but practically begged for it. She said she was willing to give up anything, and her vaults in addition to ours- along with her famous name- would gleam brilliantly alongside our name.
Salazar knows why she wants you, but she asked for your name specifically. Iâve already sent out our agreeance, and the wedding is set to happen right after Graduation. Your father is busy booking the wedding venue and rooms for those attending, and Iâm busy planning out the perfect setting for our almost-nonexistent ceremony. Everything will be ready and perfect for when the both of you portkey in afterwards. Itâll be a week-long event, much to celebrate now that we know youâre not completely worthless to us.
You should thank her for the help, as youâre finally being accepted into our family. Youâre officially a man of the Gaunts, so be sure to act like it. No more fraternizing with mudbloods, no more playing house with muggles and their ilk, and absolutely no more making a blind fool of yourself. Your father and I bought as many ways as possible to help with your ailment, go ahead and act like it for once.
Your portkey will be shipped out on the last week of term and is set to activate an hour after graduation. Be sure you and Eliza are ready and packed, the celebration begins the night youâve arrived back home.
Sincerely and satisfied,
Merwilda Gauntâ
You let out a shuddering breath, attempting to keep the chills within, as you werenât sure what shaking in Ominisâ arms to his own motherâs words would make the man think. Silence enveloped all of you, and you took another deep breath, mind flashing back to that time with Natty.
âIf you want to take the one thing I love away, then Iâll do the same to you. Youâll regret ever crossing me.â
âItâs my fault,â You whisper, and immediately feel Ominis pull back from you. He places his hands on your arms once more, attempting to turn you to face him. His face is set, serious, and hardened from years of having to deal with his family. With the Gaunts.
âDonât you dare say that.â
âIt is, though,â You continue on, turning your pained gaze over to Sebastian. He only looked on toward you, waiting for an explanation, but you could see understanding in his eyes. He knew what you meant. âEliza found me with Natty after we met up that last time. I was walking her to class- I guess that was the first time they saw each other since she took me to see the unicorn.â
âSince she kidnapped you, you mean?â You let out a sigh, turning to look into Ominisâ eyes. He seemed desperate, and you werenât sure why. Desperate for you? Desperate to be out of this situation?
âSure, that.â You take a deep breath, scanning his face as if you could read through the stone wall heâs now presented. âBut she found us. And when Natty didnât forgive her- well, then sheâŠâ You trailed off, biting your lip as you watched Ominis furrow his brow and huff in agitation.
âDid she do something to you?â
âShe did something to you Ominis, not me.â Your voice was so quiet when you spoke, you were unsure if either of them heard you. But this was a quiet room, and they were used to the silence. You cleared your throat and tried to push through, âShe threatened to take what I loved most away because she believes I took Natty away from her.â
âNo,â Ominis insists, squeezing his hands against you, âThis wasnât you. This was my damned mother- sheâs always tried her best to make my life miserable.â
âAnd Eliza has dropped an opportunity right into her lap,â Sebastian inserts, pushing with a creak to stand, moving his way over as he held the offending letter off to the side. âBlaming ourselves will get nowhere, but Iâm glad at least Ominis is taking my advice to heart. Heâs blaming his mother, as he should, instead of himself.â Ominis grumbles lightly under his breath, lowering his head as if embarrassed. âBut you should listen too.â Sebastian faces you, a serious expression you hardly ever see cross his face anymore pulling you back to reality. âThis isnât your fault. This entire fucked-up situation is all due to Eliza and Merwilda.â
âSo what are we going to do about it?â Ominis practically growled out his sentence, turning a foul look over toward Sebastian. Just as quickly the expression fell away, revealing only pain. He apologizes quietly to Sebastian for the tone before his friend continues.
âWeâre going to do everything in our power to make Eliza think that spending her life with you, just purely out of spite, is not worth it.â He pokes Ominis as he speaks, then turns to lock eyes with you. âAnd weâre going to also do everything in our power to make a lifetime tied with Eliza Fig as unappealing to Merwilda as possible, as well.â
âHow will we manage that?â You could feel the hope growing in your chest, even though the doubt still kept a firm hold. âWe already tried going over ways to expose Eliza-â
âExposing Eliza would be a lot harder than making Merwilda not want anything to do with her.â Sebastian shrugs, lifting the paper with a flick and letting his eyes scan along the page. âThereâs a lot of things that woman hates.â
âThe problem is that she hates everything that Eliza isnât,â Ominis complains, linking hands with you once more and pulling you close by them. He lets his eyes fall closed, running his thumb against your hand. âSheâs a pureblood, she has some awful sort of powerful magic that no one has seen before, and sheâs already shown her apparent interest in the Unforgivables. Merwilda would love her.â You tighten your grapes on his hands, hating the reminder of what his family had done to him.
âLikewise, how are we to get Eliza to find Ominis unbearable?â You look up into his handsome face, unable to hold back a soft smile. âI mean, heâs wonderful? Heâs an absolute gentleman, heâs incredibly handsome, and heâs one of the most intelligent and powerful men that I know.â You hear a soft âheyâ come from Sebastianâs direction, though it feels more just to fuck around than for any sort of hurt caused. You huff a short laugh, shaking your head, âAnd besides, if sheâs hellbent on taking you away from me, she may not even notice all of those fantastic elements. She might not even care how you are, as long as being with you hurts me.â
âOminis can be a right pain when he wants to be,â Sebastian inserts with ease, his voice bored as his eyes continue to scan the parchment. He had been slowly making his way to his previous chair, finally taking a seat in it with another creak. âIâm not too worried about that aspect.â
âSo we find out which friends of Elizaâs are muggleborn. If sheâs seen talking with them, with muggles even, then that would get back to Merwilda. Salazar knows sheâs having that witch watched as she has with me my whole life.â You push forward and trap your conjoined hands between your bodies, laying your head against Ominisâ chest. He takes a deep breath before continuing, âAnd as far as I know, Eliza hasnât told anyone else about her ancient power. As long as that stays secret, Merwilda wonât have an additional reason to marry her into the family.â
âSurely thereâs more we can do,â Sebastian mumbles, looking up and tapping the parchment to his chin. âMerwilda certainly hates a lot of things.â Ominis hums and you feel the vibration run through your head down to your own chest.
âMaybe we could start a rumour that sheâs a werewolf?â
âUnique, Iâll give you that,â Sebastian compliments, pointing that foul paper toward him before resuming his tapping, âBut no one would believe that. And itâs easier to prove she isnât than to falsify evidence that she is.â
âShe could be found helping a house elf?â
âWhat house elf? The only ones we have access to are the ones at Hogwarts, which donât need help, or the ones in your own manor. And thereâs no way sheâd free one of them willfully under Merwildaâs gaze.â
âSo what else would shy her away?â You lift your head from Ominis, your gaze landing on the parchment in Sebastianâs hands. âShe mentioned that Eliza being rich was a plus. Would her losing her money help with our cause?â
âSheâs incredibly vain, she wouldnât sell me away for nothing.â Ominis nodded, his face locked in concentration.
âSo, are we stealing all of her money?â You laugh at Sebastianâs question, then hesitate as he turns a serious gaze to you. âIâm not joking, Iâm completely here for stealing all of her money.â
âWe know you are, Sebastian,â Ominis sighs out, running a hand through his hair. This action pulls at the normally combed-back style, slightly messing up the hair on his head. You couldnât help but feel enamoured by the messy style. âHowever, exactly how do you suppose we are to break into a Gringotts vault?â
âWell, maybe we donât need to actually steal it?â You suggest with hesitation, both men turned their attention to you. âWe can just make it look as though she did?â
âBetter suggestion, but how-â
âWe could say that someone has a plan on her vault,â Sebastian begins, wringing his hands together in thought. âShe could go to the goblins and request her fortune be moved somewheres else. Then the next time anyone checks- Merwilda has contacts Iâm sure- then her vault would be empty.â
âIf itâs in her name-â Ominis begins before Sebastian interrupts him once more, standing with a flourish.
âThen it shanât be in her name!â Sebastian grins, walking closer. âObviously we wouldnât be the ones to tell her. We need someone she trusts explicitly, someone who would be able to convince her to put her fortune in their name so the âthiefâ canât find it. Lay a trap in her vault or something, I donât know.â
âThe only person I know that she trusts completely is Natty,â You add on unhelpfully, shrugging, âAnd I really doubt sheâd be willing to talk to Eliza.â
âIf itâs to take Eliza down, she would,â Ominis mumbles, crossing his arms. âShe was pretty adamant about that last time we spoke.â
âSo we have our plan then!â Sebastian calls out with a grin, and you huff a breath, tilting your head.
âWe do?â
âYes! I have a spectacular plan involving the muggles and whatnot- donât ask, you donât want to know.â You hesitate, furrowing your brow at this, but nod along anyway. âSo I have the muggle thing taken care of, Ominis will do everything in his power to annoy Eliza to no end, and you,â He points to you with a grin, âWill be the one to convince Natty- or whoever else she trusts enough if Natty says no- to follow along with our plan! This could work!â
âHow is Ominis-â
âI have all the faith in you Ominis!â Sebastian calls out behind himself as he walks away, beginning a jog toward the exit. âAll of it! You can do this!â With that he disappears through the door, leaving you and Ominis alone. You turn to him, tilting your head in thought.
âDonât worry about what Iâll have to say to Eliza, Y/N,â Ominis begins, withdrawing his wand and flicking it gently to light the end with his usual red pulse. âI have some ideas, just-â He hesitates, raising a hand to rub the back of his head, âIf you happen to be around anytime Iâm performing for Eliza, please donât take anything I say to heart. Iâll be saying anything necessary to chase her away, even if I donât actually believe what I say.â
âItâs okay, Ominis, I get it.â You gently run your hand down his arm, ending at the hand holding his wand. You could see the pulsing red flicker just slightly before resuming its regular pulse. âI wonât hold anything you say to Eliza against you. She shouldnât have tried to involve you in the first place.â Ominis slides his wand into his pocket, reaching forward to take your hand.
âDonât you say this is your fault again, Y/N.â
âIf it werenât for me-â
âEliza is fully to blame for this. For all of this.â Ominis pulls you closer, sliding his free hand from your shoulder up to your cheek. âIâm glad Iâm finally involved, so I can help you officially. My only concern is the way Iâm involved brings you pain, and I wish none of that for you.â
âYou could never bring me pain, Ominis,â You try to reassure him, but he only shakes his head, tightening his hold on your hand. You raise your own free hand up to place against his on your cheek, and you lean into it slightly.
âOf course I could, donât be ridiculous. I never want to, of course, but everyone is capable of dealing pain.â
âOminis-â
âIâve cast Crucio before.â Ominisâ statement has you pausing, raising your eyes up to meet his own milky gaze. You tried to decide whether you believed him, though his grim tone and expression only further proved his point. Plus, he wouldnât joke about something like this.
âOn purpose?â
âIt has to be cast on purpose, Y/N.â He sighs, sounding defeated, and tries to pull his hands away. You only tighten your own in response, not letting him escape.
âWhy?â
âWhat do you mean why?â
âWas there a reason?â
âY/N-â
âTell me the reason you did it, Ominis.â You take his hand off of your cheek, though refuse to let go still. Youâre once again holding each otherâs hands, though you were the one rubbing your thumb on his hand now. âI donât believe you did it purely for the fun of it.â He sighs again, and you only wished you could take that world-weary expression from him. He seemed to wear it constantly now.
âMy family forced me.â
âExactly! So-â
âI still cast it, Y/N.â
âUnder threat from your family.â You pull on his hands, trying to tug him into minding you. âYou are not to blame.â
âI am absolutely to blame for that, Y/N!â
âWhat would they have done if you didnât?â He tries to repeat your name, shaking his head, but you only repeat your sentence harsher. He eventually sighs, answering quietly.
âThey wouldâve performed it on me.â
âExactly. You were saving yourself, Ominis. There was nothing you couldâve done about it, no answer is the right one in that situation.â You watch a tear slowly manifest on the corner of his eye, falling slowly down his cheek.
âI donât deserve you, Y/N.â
âSure you do,â You whisper, pulling him closer to you. You raise his hands to your lips, pressing a kiss to each knuckle. âIf you didnât deserve my love then I donât think anybody would. And that would be a pretty lonely existence.â Ominis is quiet for a long moment, and you raise your eyes to see his blue eyes. They really were beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. You wondered what was going on behind those eyes, thoughts running wild in his gaze. You find out soon enough.
âYou love me?â He sounded breathless in disbelief, tightening his hold on your hands. âIs that what you said?â
âYes, Ominis,â You couldnât help but whisper, looking up into his face. Your eyes trace his beauty marks, landing finally on his lips. âI love you.â
âI love you,â Ominis replies quickly before pulling you forward, slotting his lips with yours. He pulls one hand free, placing it on your cheek before sliding it to the back of your head, pulling you as if you could get any closer than you were. You use your now free hand to drag along his side, trailing your fingers along his torso. By the time you both pull away, youâre breathing heavily and Ominis canât stop smiling. âMerlin save me, but I love you so.â
âThen we shall do everything in our power to stay together.â Ominisâ smile falls slightly, using his hand to pull you closer.
âNothing will stand between us, I assure you.â
âShe did what?!â
You wince at the volume of Nattyâs voice, waving a hand in apology at the rest of the students as they try to shush her. Natty pays them no mind, grabbing your arm with both of her hands. âShe did what?â She repeats the notion again, her eyes burning a hole in the side of your head.
âDo I really need to say it again?â
âNo, of course not,â Natty spits out, grunting in annoyance. âThat little-â
âI need your help.â Nattyâs gaze snaps up to you, furrowing her brow.
âWhat is it that I can do? I have no connection to any of the Gaunts, and I wouldnât know where to begin to stop a wedding.â
âI already have a plan,â You admit softly, scanning the library around you before leaning in closer to her. You wince, watching her face as you finally say, âBut it requires you to become friendly with Eliza once more.â Natty's expression hardens further, and you're about to excuse her from participating when she speaks up.
"What all would I need to do?"
"We need to convince her that a thief is looking to steal all of her gold." The confusion that crosses Natty's face is warranted, but you soldier on. "If you tell her, then she'll believe it a lot easier. We only need her to move her gold to a different vault long enough for Merwilda- oh, uh, Ominisâ mother- to check and see that she has nothing.â
âSo, weâre pretending sheâs poor?â Natty pursed her lips, tilting her head. âAnd that matters to his mother?â
âItâs the only thing that matters to her, from what Iâve gathered,â You couldnât keep the aggravation from your tone, but it seemed mirrored on Natty so you didnât feel too bad.
âBut if Merwilda is able to check something like that, whoâs to say that she canât just tell it was moved?â
âThatâs the thing, we need it in a different name than her own.â
âMoving all of her gold to a new vault and a new name?â Natty shakes her head, leaning back in her chair. âSeems impossible. Wouldnât that money legally be in whoeverâs name then?â
âThatâs why it has to be you,â Your voice is whispered, and if you hadnât already been leaning in close to her you wouldâve moved in. Still, you reached to take one of her hands, holding it in your own. âYou tell her youâve found a thief and a well-thought-out plan. That you have to move her fortune, but the only way to protect it would be to put in someone elseâs name so they wouldnât be able to just look up her new vault on the goblinâs archives.â She nods slowly, tilting her head in thought.
âWe could say we need to place a trap in her current vault to catch the thief.â
âYes! Thatâs perfect.â
âAnd the thief is a poacher. Or a well known one maybe,â She bites her lip and you nod along, squeezing her hand. At this she finally meets your eyes again, a slow smile growing. âI canât say Iâm looking forward to talking to her again- especially getting so close that she listens to this. But this is an entrance into catching her, isnât it?â You hesitate at this, tilting your head.
âCatching her?â
âSending her to Azkaban!â You hesitate once more and she sighs, grasping your hand more firmly. âI know that we all said weâd drop it, but you agree! Donât you? With what sheâs done, there needs to be consequences.â
âIt can be a stepping stone toward that,â You finally yield to her, nodding slowly. âBut I donât know if this plan is the exact way to go about that-â
âOh, I know, I know.â Natty sighs, her entire body relaxing before your eyes. Perhaps this was weighing heavier on her mind than anyone had initially suspected.
âNat?â You begin hesitantly, and she just eyes you with trepidation in response. âI know this is a bit personal, butâŠâ You bite your lip, watching Nattyâs eyes. Her expression doesnât change, but you can see recognition in her eyes. Itâs like she knew what you were going to ask already, which helped it slip out, âWere you and Eliza an item?â She sighs slowly, raising a hand to rub her face.
âNot quite,â She begins, tilting her head back and forth in consideration before huffing again with a shrug, âBut, in a way. Yes.â
âAnd so thatâs why-â
âThatâs why she wants me back so badly. Thatâs why she went after your Ominis when she decided to blame you for all of her problems.â
âIâm sorry, Nat,â You whisper, watching Nattyâs face crumple into something resembling grief, tears beginning to form in her eyes. When she speaks itâs barely a voice, like she has a frog in her throat.
âItâs been so hard,â She chokes out a sob, leaning forward toward you, âIâve had no one to talk to about it. About all this- about her. What am I supposed to do?â She looks up at you with tear-stained cheeks. âWhat do you do when the woman you love becomes a monster?â
Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader
(MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor)
part nine of the fancy series - [ToC]
Summary: Ominis has received a letter from none other than his mother, speaking of horrifying news. However, this is just another obstacle to overcome. Surely thereâs something you can do?
After that particular revelation (in case you missed it, Ominis is now engaged), Sebastian had set about corralling you and Ominis both down toward the Undercroft. You didnât even really remember half the journey until Ominis had stopped the lot of you to grab your arms, half shaking you and begging you to answer him. When you hummed in response, you heard a quick, âThis isnât the place for this conversation, Ominis,â from Sebastian before he continued to push the both of you toward the hidden room.
You didnât pay any mind to the fact that you had classes coming up soon, this new information rocking you to your core. What were you supposed to do with this information? What had he meant by defective?
âAlright Ominis, I think itâs time we read that letter.â You blinked and looked around, realizing you were already in the Undercroft. Ominis, who apparently had not stopped clutching that damned letter, practically threw the piece of paper at Sebastian before approaching you. He placed his hands on your arms once more, ducking his head as if he could look into your eyes.
âY/N, say something, please.â
âIâm here, Ominis,â You mumble, watching his shoulders relax before he wraps you into his arms, pulling you close. As you rest your head against his chest you begin to wonder how many more times youâre allowed to do this. Were you even allowed to right now? âSo does this mean-â
âThis means nothing, Y/N.â The conviction in Ominisâ voice would usually be comforting. Even now, you found it hard not to be comforted and he pulls you closer, rubbing his cheek against your head, â Nothing for us, anyway.â
âBut, Ominis,â You sigh, pulling back. He lets you, hesitantly, as if he doesnât want to let go. âThis means everything.â
âY/N, I-â
âI donât know how far you were thinking, Ominis,â You mumble, lowering your voice as you stare at the green stripes on his tie, âAnd granted, I wasnât specifically thinking of marriage either. But- well, it wouldâve been nice. Eventually. But we canât even be together if-â
âDonât say that, Y/N.â The pain in his voice, in his face, as you looked up, caused a surge of the same to spear through your heart.
âWhat else am I supposed to say, Ominis?â Your eyes tear up as you stare up at the man you loved- and yes, love, how inconvenient a time to realize that. You reach to take his hands into yours, pulling them up to your chest. âWhat can we do, Ominis?â
âAnything,â Ominis begs, pulling your conjoined hands up and pressing kisses to your own. âAnything, please. As long as youâre by my side, then I know I can fight this. We can fight this.â You sniff, watching the pain on his face as if looking in a mirror.
âIâll always be by your side Ominis.â You watch his face crumple with relief, pulling your hands up once more to lay his lips across your hands. He left them there, closing his eyes and looking as if he were in prayer.
âOminis,â Sebastian calls from a few feet away, sitting on a dusty wooden chair and hunched over the piece of parchment. âHow far into this letter did you go?â
âNot very,â He calls out toward him, emotions clear in his voice. He clears his throat, opening his eyes to look in your general direction. âJust enough to get the gist of the letter.â
âI donât think youâll like the rest of it either,â Sebastian mumbles, raising a hand to chew at his thumbnail. You bounce back and forth on your feet, biting your lip as you watch your friend read the paper you desperately wished you could read.
âRead it aloud, Sebastian,â Ominis calls out suddenly, and you raised surprised eyes up to Ominis. Sebastian mustâve been feeling the same, as the hesitancy was evident in his voice.
âAre you sure about that, Ominis?â
âY/N wants to hear it,â Ominis mumbles back, pulling you close and wrapping his arms around you once more. âLet them hear it.â Sebastian pulls a face but clears his throat anyway.
âDear my inutile son,
For however many discussions weâve had on this topic, it seems a miracle has happened. I know weâve all made agreements, arrangements that must now be broken. When we accepted your pleas of avoidance, to leave your comforting family behind, we were so sure you would bring nothing but misery to this home. So we had agreed, as you know, with our own terms that you had readily subjected yourself to. Really, what Gaunt would willingly lower themself to such a standard of living? Muggles, really?
In any case, our family has been saved with an offer from the grace of Merlin, surely. A letter was sent to our home, inside written with intentions and feelings and all those little things that the kids your age tend to think mean a lot more than they do. Inside was something that your father and I searched for, at length, for an absurd amount of time for the solution to just be dropped into our lap. It seems that such a lovely, pureblooded woman not only wants your hand in marriage but practically begged for it. She said she was willing to give up anything, and her vaults in addition to ours- along with her famous name- would gleam brilliantly alongside our name.
Salazar knows why she wants you, but she asked for your name specifically. Iâve already sent out our agreeance, and the wedding is set to happen right after Graduation. Your father is busy booking the wedding venue and rooms for those attending, and Iâm busy planning out the perfect setting for our almost-nonexistent ceremony. Everything will be ready and perfect for when the both of you portkey in afterwards. Itâll be a week-long event, much to celebrate now that we know youâre not completely worthless to us.
You should thank her for the help, as youâre finally being accepted into our family. Youâre officially a man of the Gaunts, so be sure to act like it. No more fraternizing with mudbloods, no more playing house with muggles and their ilk, and absolutely no more making a blind fool of yourself. Your father and I bought as many ways as possible to help with your ailment, go ahead and act like it for once.
Your portkey will be shipped out on the last week of term and is set to activate an hour after graduation. Be sure you and Eliza are ready and packed, the celebration begins the night youâve arrived back home.
Sincerely and satisfied,
Merwilda Gauntâ
You let out a shuddering breath, attempting to keep the chills within, as you werenât sure what shaking in Ominisâ arms to his own motherâs words would make the man think. Silence enveloped all of you, and you took another deep breath, mind flashing back to that time with Natty.
âIf you want to take the one thing I love away, then Iâll do the same to you. Youâll regret ever crossing me.â
âItâs my fault,â You whisper, and immediately feel Ominis pull back from you. He places his hands on your arms once more, attempting to turn you to face him. His face is set, serious, and hardened from years of having to deal with his family. With the Gaunts.
âDonât you dare say that.â
âIt is, though,â You continue on, turning your pained gaze over to Sebastian. He only looked on toward you, waiting for an explanation, but you could see understanding in his eyes. He knew what you meant. âEliza found me with Natty after we met up that last time. I was walking her to class- I guess that was the first time they saw each other since she took me to see the unicorn.â
âSince she kidnapped you, you mean?â You let out a sigh, turning to look into Ominisâ eyes. He seemed desperate, and you werenât sure why. Desperate for you? Desperate to be out of this situation?
âSure, that.â You take a deep breath, scanning his face as if you could read through the stone wall heâs now presented. âBut she found us. And when Natty didnât forgive her- well, then sheâŠâ You trailed off, biting your lip as you watched Ominis furrow his brow and huff in agitation.
âDid she do something to you?â
âShe did something to you Ominis, not me.â Your voice was so quiet when you spoke, you were unsure if either of them heard you. But this was a quiet room, and they were used to the silence. You cleared your throat and tried to push through, âShe threatened to take what I loved most away because she believes I took Natty away from her.â
âNo,â Ominis insists, squeezing his hands against you, âThis wasnât you. This was my damned mother- sheâs always tried her best to make my life miserable.â
âAnd Eliza has dropped an opportunity right into her lap,â Sebastian inserts, pushing with a creak to stand, moving his way over as he held the offending letter off to the side. âBlaming ourselves will get nowhere, but Iâm glad at least Ominis is taking my advice to heart. Heâs blaming his mother, as he should, instead of himself.â Ominis grumbles lightly under his breath, lowering his head as if embarrassed. âBut you should listen too.â Sebastian faces you, a serious expression you hardly ever see cross his face anymore pulling you back to reality. âThis isnât your fault. This entire fucked-up situation is all due to Eliza and Merwilda.â
âSo what are we going to do about it?â Ominis practically growled out his sentence, turning a foul look over toward Sebastian. Just as quickly the expression fell away, revealing only pain. He apologizes quietly to Sebastian for the tone before his friend continues.
âWeâre going to do everything in our power to make Eliza think that spending her life with you, just purely out of spite, is not worth it.â He pokes Ominis as he speaks, then turns to lock eyes with you. âAnd weâre going to also do everything in our power to make a lifetime tied with Eliza Fig as unappealing to Merwilda as possible, as well.â
âHow will we manage that?â You could feel the hope growing in your chest, even though the doubt still kept a firm hold. âWe already tried going over ways to expose Eliza-â
âExposing Eliza would be a lot harder than making Merwilda not want anything to do with her.â Sebastian shrugs, lifting the paper with a flick and letting his eyes scan along the page. âThereâs a lot of things that woman hates.â
âThe problem is that she hates everything that Eliza isnât,â Ominis complains, linking hands with you once more and pulling you close by them. He lets his eyes fall closed, running his thumb against your hand. âSheâs a pureblood, she has some awful sort of powerful magic that no one has seen before, and sheâs already shown her apparent interest in the Unforgivables. Merwilda would love her.â You tighten your grapes on his hands, hating the reminder of what his family had done to him.
âLikewise, how are we to get Eliza to find Ominis unbearable?â You look up into his handsome face, unable to hold back a soft smile. âI mean, heâs wonderful? Heâs an absolute gentleman, heâs incredibly handsome, and heâs one of the most intelligent and powerful men that I know.â You hear a soft âheyâ come from Sebastianâs direction, though it feels more just to fuck around than for any sort of hurt caused. You huff a short laugh, shaking your head, âAnd besides, if sheâs hellbent on taking you away from me, she may not even notice all of those fantastic elements. She might not even care how you are, as long as being with you hurts me.â
âOminis can be a right pain when he wants to be,â Sebastian inserts with ease, his voice bored as his eyes continue to scan the parchment. He had been slowly making his way to his previous chair, finally taking a seat in it with another creak. âIâm not too worried about that aspect.â
âSo we find out which friends of Elizaâs are muggleborn. If sheâs seen talking with them, with muggles even, then that would get back to Merwilda. Salazar knows sheâs having that witch watched as she has with me my whole life.â You push forward and trap your conjoined hands between your bodies, laying your head against Ominisâ chest. He takes a deep breath before continuing, âAnd as far as I know, Eliza hasnât told anyone else about her ancient power. As long as that stays secret, Merwilda wonât have an additional reason to marry her into the family.â
âSurely thereâs more we can do,â Sebastian mumbles, looking up and tapping the parchment to his chin. âMerwilda certainly hates a lot of things.â Ominis hums and you feel the vibration run through your head down to your own chest.
âMaybe we could start a rumour that sheâs a werewolf?â
âUnique, Iâll give you that,â Sebastian compliments, pointing that foul paper toward him before resuming his tapping, âBut no one would believe that. And itâs easier to prove she isnât than to falsify evidence that she is.â
âShe could be found helping a house elf?â
âWhat house elf? The only ones we have access to are the ones at Hogwarts, which donât need help, or the ones in your own manor. And thereâs no way sheâd free one of them willfully under Merwildaâs gaze.â
âSo what else would shy her away?â You lift your head from Ominis, your gaze landing on the parchment in Sebastianâs hands. âShe mentioned that Eliza being rich was a plus. Would her losing her money help with our cause?â
âSheâs incredibly vain, she wouldnât sell me away for nothing.â Ominis nodded, his face locked in concentration.
âSo, are we stealing all of her money?â You laugh at Sebastianâs question, then hesitate as he turns a serious gaze to you. âIâm not joking, Iâm completely here for stealing all of her money.â
âWe know you are, Sebastian,â Ominis sighs out, running a hand through his hair. This action pulls at the normally combed-back style, slightly messing up the hair on his head. You couldnât help but feel enamoured by the messy style. âHowever, exactly how do you suppose we are to break into a Gringotts vault?â
âWell, maybe we donât need to actually steal it?â You suggest with hesitation, both men turned their attention to you. âWe can just make it look as though she did?â
âBetter suggestion, but how-â
âWe could say that someone has a plan on her vault,â Sebastian begins, wringing his hands together in thought. âShe could go to the goblins and request her fortune be moved somewheres else. Then the next time anyone checks- Merwilda has contacts Iâm sure- then her vault would be empty.â
âIf itâs in her name-â Ominis begins before Sebastian interrupts him once more, standing with a flourish.
âThen it shanât be in her name!â Sebastian grins, walking closer. âObviously we wouldnât be the ones to tell her. We need someone she trusts explicitly, someone who would be able to convince her to put her fortune in their name so the âthiefâ canât find it. Lay a trap in her vault or something, I donât know.â
âThe only person I know that she trusts completely is Natty,â You add on unhelpfully, shrugging, âAnd I really doubt sheâd be willing to talk to Eliza.â
âIf itâs to take Eliza down, she would,â Ominis mumbles, crossing his arms. âShe was pretty adamant about that last time we spoke.â
âSo we have our plan then!â Sebastian calls out with a grin, and you huff a breath, tilting your head.
âWe do?â
âYes! I have a spectacular plan involving the muggles and whatnot- donât ask, you donât want to know.â You hesitate, furrowing your brow at this, but nod along anyway. âSo I have the muggle thing taken care of, Ominis will do everything in his power to annoy Eliza to no end, and you,â He points to you with a grin, âWill be the one to convince Natty- or whoever else she trusts enough if Natty says no- to follow along with our plan! This could work!â
âHow is Ominis-â
âI have all the faith in you Ominis!â Sebastian calls out behind himself as he walks away, beginning a jog toward the exit. âAll of it! You can do this!â With that he disappears through the door, leaving you and Ominis alone. You turn to him, tilting your head in thought.
âDonât worry about what Iâll have to say to Eliza, Y/N,â Ominis begins, withdrawing his wand and flicking it gently to light the end with his usual red pulse. âI have some ideas, just-â He hesitates, raising a hand to rub the back of his head, âIf you happen to be around anytime Iâm performing for Eliza, please donât take anything I say to heart. Iâll be saying anything necessary to chase her away, even if I donât actually believe what I say.â
âItâs okay, Ominis, I get it.â You gently run your hand down his arm, ending at the hand holding his wand. You could see the pulsing red flicker just slightly before resuming its regular pulse. âI wonât hold anything you say to Eliza against you. She shouldnât have tried to involve you in the first place.â Ominis slides his wand into his pocket, reaching forward to take your hand.
âDonât you say this is your fault again, Y/N.â
âIf it werenât for me-â
âEliza is fully to blame for this. For all of this.â Ominis pulls you closer, sliding his free hand from your shoulder up to your cheek. âIâm glad Iâm finally involved, so I can help you officially. My only concern is the way Iâm involved brings you pain, and I wish none of that for you.â
âYou could never bring me pain, Ominis,â You try to reassure him, but he only shakes his head, tightening his hold on your hand. You raise your own free hand up to place against his on your cheek, and you lean into it slightly.
âOf course I could, donât be ridiculous. I never want to, of course, but everyone is capable of dealing pain.â
âOminis-â
âIâve cast Crucio before.â Ominisâ statement has you pausing, raising your eyes up to meet his own milky gaze. You tried to decide whether you believed him, though his grim tone and expression only further proved his point. Plus, he wouldnât joke about something like this.
âOn purpose?â
âIt has to be cast on purpose, Y/N.â He sighs, sounding defeated, and tries to pull his hands away. You only tighten your own in response, not letting him escape.
âWhy?â
âWhat do you mean why?â
âWas there a reason?â
âY/N-â
âTell me the reason you did it, Ominis.â You take his hand off of your cheek, though refuse to let go still. Youâre once again holding each otherâs hands, though you were the one rubbing your thumb on his hand now. âI donât believe you did it purely for the fun of it.â He sighs again, and you only wished you could take that world-weary expression from him. He seemed to wear it constantly now.
âMy family forced me.â
âExactly! So-â
âI still cast it, Y/N.â
âUnder threat from your family.â You pull on his hands, trying to tug him into minding you. âYou are not to blame.â
âI am absolutely to blame for that, Y/N!â
âWhat would they have done if you didnât?â He tries to repeat your name, shaking his head, but you only repeat your sentence harsher. He eventually sighs, answering quietly.
âThey wouldâve performed it on me.â
âExactly. You were saving yourself, Ominis. There was nothing you couldâve done about it, no answer is the right one in that situation.â You watch a tear slowly manifest on the corner of his eye, falling slowly down his cheek.
âI donât deserve you, Y/N.â
âSure you do,â You whisper, pulling him closer to you. You raise his hands to your lips, pressing a kiss to each knuckle. âIf you didnât deserve my love then I donât think anybody would. And that would be a pretty lonely existence.â Ominis is quiet for a long moment, and you raise your eyes to see his blue eyes. They really were beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. You wondered what was going on behind those eyes, thoughts running wild in his gaze. You find out soon enough.
âYou love me?â He sounded breathless in disbelief, tightening his hold on your hands. âIs that what you said?â
âYes, Ominis,â You couldnât help but whisper, looking up into his face. Your eyes trace his beauty marks, landing finally on his lips. âI love you.â
âI love you,â Ominis replies quickly before pulling you forward, slotting his lips with yours. He pulls one hand free, placing it on your cheek before sliding it to the back of your head, pulling you as if you could get any closer than you were. You use your now free hand to drag along his side, trailing your fingers along his torso. By the time you both pull away, youâre breathing heavily and Ominis canât stop smiling. âMerlin save me, but I love you so.â
âThen we shall do everything in our power to stay together.â Ominisâ smile falls slightly, using his hand to pull you closer.
âNothing will stand between us, I assure you.â
âShe did what?!â
You wince at the volume of Nattyâs voice, waving a hand in apology at the rest of the students as they try to shush her. Natty pays them no mind, grabbing your arm with both of her hands. âShe did what?â She repeats the notion again, her eyes burning a hole in the side of your head.
âDo I really need to say it again?â
âNo, of course not,â Natty spits out, grunting in annoyance. âThat little-â
âI need your help.â Nattyâs gaze snaps up to you, furrowing her brow.
âWhat is it that I can do? I have no connection to any of the Gaunts, and I wouldnât know where to begin to stop a wedding.â
âI already have a plan,â You admit softly, scanning the library around you before leaning in closer to her. You wince, watching her face as you finally say, âBut it requires you to become friendly with Eliza once more.â Natty's expression hardens further, and you're about to excuse her from participating when she speaks up.
"What all would I need to do?"
"We need to convince her that a thief is looking to steal all of her gold." The confusion that crosses Natty's face is warranted, but you soldier on. "If you tell her, then she'll believe it a lot easier. We only need her to move her gold to a different vault long enough for Merwilda- oh, uh, Ominisâ mother- to check and see that she has nothing.â
âSo, weâre pretending sheâs poor?â Natty pursed her lips, tilting her head. âAnd that matters to his mother?â
âItâs the only thing that matters to her, from what Iâve gathered,â You couldnât keep the aggravation from your tone, but it seemed mirrored on Natty so you didnât feel too bad.
âBut if Merwilda is able to check something like that, whoâs to say that she canât just tell it was moved?â
âThatâs the thing, we need it in a different name than her own.â
âMoving all of her gold to a new vault and a new name?â Natty shakes her head, leaning back in her chair. âSeems impossible. Wouldnât that money legally be in whoeverâs name then?â
âThatâs why it has to be you,â Your voice is whispered, and if you hadnât already been leaning in close to her you wouldâve moved in. Still, you reached to take one of her hands, holding it in your own. âYou tell her youâve found a thief and a well-thought-out plan. That you have to move her fortune, but the only way to protect it would be to put in someone elseâs name so they wouldnât be able to just look up her new vault on the goblinâs archives.â She nods slowly, tilting her head in thought.
âWe could say we need to place a trap in her current vault to catch the thief.â
âYes! Thatâs perfect.â
âAnd the thief is a poacher. Or a well known one maybe,â She bites her lip and you nod along, squeezing her hand. At this she finally meets your eyes again, a slow smile growing. âI canât say Iâm looking forward to talking to her again- especially getting so close that she listens to this. But this is an entrance into catching her, isnât it?â You hesitate at this, tilting your head.
âCatching her?â
âSending her to Azkaban!â You hesitate once more and she sighs, grasping your hand more firmly. âI know that we all said weâd drop it, but you agree! Donât you? With what sheâs done, there needs to be consequences.â
âIt can be a stepping stone toward that,â You finally yield to her, nodding slowly. âBut I donât know if this plan is the exact way to go about that-â
âOh, I know, I know.â Natty sighs, her entire body relaxing before your eyes. Perhaps this was weighing heavier on her mind than anyone had initially suspected.
âNat?â You begin hesitantly, and she just eyes you with trepidation in response. âI know this is a bit personal, butâŠâ You bite your lip, watching Nattyâs eyes. Her expression doesnât change, but you can see recognition in her eyes. Itâs like she knew what you were going to ask already, which helped it slip out, âWere you and Eliza an item?â She sighs slowly, raising a hand to rub her face.
âNot quite,â She begins, tilting her head back and forth in consideration before huffing again with a shrug, âBut, in a way. Yes.â
âAnd so thatâs why-â
âThatâs why she wants me back so badly. Thatâs why she went after your Ominis when she decided to blame you for all of her problems.â
âIâm sorry, Nat,â You whisper, watching Nattyâs face crumple into something resembling grief, tears beginning to form in her eyes. When she speaks itâs barely a voice, like she has a frog in her throat.
âItâs been so hard,â She chokes out a sob, leaning forward toward you, âIâve had no one to talk to about it. About all this- about her. What am I supposed to do?â She looks up at you with tear-stained cheeks. âWhat do you do when the woman you love becomes a monster?â
Ominis Gaunt x GN!Hufflepuff!Reader
(MC = Eliza Fig, Gryffindor)
part eight of the fancy series - [ToC]
Summary: The group begins to plan, until the plan becomes too dangerous to Ominis. You find out there will always be consequences for your actions.
A/N: shorter chapter, sorry, but a lot happens! Hope this doesn't seem too rushed or not detailed enough, but I'm pretty sure this is paced well enough. I hope the sequence of events isn't confusing as well, as the timeline sort of jumps around!
âAzkaban?â Garreth exclaims, a panicked look crossing his face. He begins shaking his head quickly, raising his hands in mock surrender, âWoah, woah, woah. Now hold on just a moment. Weâre talking about a student, someone our age. Not some random poacher or dark wizard!â
âTechnically,â Poppy inserted with a wince, âShe is a dark wizard, and sheâs not going to be a student for much longer.â
âAnd sheâs not a child,â Natty inputs, placing her hands on the table in front of her. âShe may still be a student like us, but sheâs eighteen already. Sheâs an adult, and she should be tried as an adult.â
You were quiet amidst the back-and-forth, biting your lip in contemplation. Did Eliza really deserve Azkaban? Although, thatâs what the whole prison was made for, and the spells were called Unforgivables for a reason. You begin to nervously tap your foot, then feel Ominis pull you closer to his side in reassurance.
âSure, but guys- weâre talking about Eliza right now. The woman who defeated Ranrok in her fifth year, the same year she discovered her powers. Everyone loves her, sheâs extremely powerful, and who knows what kind of allies she has inside the Ministry at this point! Merlin, even her own father worked closely with the Ministry, if she didnât have someone on the inside then Iâd eat my sock!â Garrethâs rant came to an end with a huff, and everyone fell silent as they thought it over.
âThen we have to make it beyond a reasonable doubt that she needs to be arrested.â Nattyâs voice was serious as she spoke, looking up to lock eyes with each member of the group one after the other. âWe have to get her to cast an Unforgivable in front of an Auror.â
âHow in Salazarâs name are we meant to do that?â Sebastian finally spoke up in disbelief, crossing his arms impatiently.
"We know her motivations," Natty begins, looking down at the table in thought, "That she hates poachers, thinks they deserve it."
"Are we really advocating for her using another Unforgivable?" Poppy bites her lip anxiously, fidgeting with her hands. "I mean, to get her caught she has to cast it. That means that someone would be tortured just to get her arrested."
"I hate the idea too, so if anyone has a better one then let me know." Natty scans the group of friends once more, expression solemn. No one speaks up, and you wrack your brain for any other answer. Surely you all weren't trying to get someone tortured, then you'd be the same as her.
"Wait," You whisper, nervously glancing at Ominis before looking back at the group. "I have an ideaâŠ"
âNatty!â
Youâre head shot up in fright at the sound of her voice, and you watch as Eliza lands a broom in the middle of the Transfiguration courtyard, running over to where you stood, arm-in-arm, with Natty. You had been passing through on your way to Herbalism class together when she practically appeared out of nowhere. She had a tendency to do that.
âNo,â Natty murmurs, pulling your arm with her as she speeds her walking, pushing toward the Central Hall with renewed vigour. âIâm not ready.â
âNatty, hey wait!â
âNat, maybe we should-â
âNo,â Natty repeats with emphasis, practically dragging you along now. You tried to match her steps, then were yanked back by that same arm. You turn to notice Elizaâs hand around Nattyâs other arm, a confused expression in place.
âNatty, please talk to me.â
âI have nothing to say to you.â
âBut,â Eliza turns her attention to me, her face falling into an intense expression, âI thought you said-â
âThey did tell me, Eliza,â Natty inputted, taking her arm back from you to instead step in front of you. âThey told me how you stood by and let that happen.â
âNatty, no, please. Just let me explain!â You could see Elizaâs face over Nattyâs shoulder, her eyes beginning to tear up.
âThereâs nothing more to explain.â Nattyâs voice sounded final, devoid of emotion. You werenât sure you ever wanted to hear her sound like that again.
âYes, there is. Please, just-â Natty ignores Elizaâs pleas, turning and pushing her way into Central Hall. You stood there, shell-shocked at the scene that had just happened before you. A tear slipped down Elizaâs cheek, but she no longer looked sad or desperate. She looked furious. âYou.â
âEliza, I told her as you asked-â
âItâs you. I donât know what you said, but to take her away? To take the love of my life away?â Eliza walked forward and roughly grabbed the front of your robes, dragging you in closer. âI didnât know someone so evil could walk the halls of Hogwarts, but by Merlin, I will make you regret ever stepping foot in this castle.â
You swallowed roughly, breath coming in pants. Fear tightened your stomach, and you tried to stutter out a response, âEliza, listen to me, I told her what you said but I donât control Nat. No one can control her-â
âFine,â Eliza pushes you away, snarling at you, and continues as if you didnât even speak. âIf you want to take the one thing I love away, then Iâll do the same to you. Youâll regret ever crossing me.â Your eyes widened at the threat, reaching forward to try something, anything, to get her to change her mind. Your hand misses its mark as Eliza takes a step back and twists on her heel, disappearing in a flash.
âNo,â Ominis interrupts, turning to face you completely. âYou are not going to use yourself as bait.â
âItâs the only thing that makes sense, really.â You huff out a breath, seeing the disbelief across the faces of all of your friends. âIâm not going to advocate for more Unforgivables to be cast, especially if weâre going to make her cast it just to get caught. If sheâs to get caught, sheâs going to get caught casting it of her own will.â
âYeah, weâve agreed on that much,â Sebastian inserts, walking slowly around the table. âWhat we donât understand is why it has to be cast on you.â
âWell, Iâm not going to lead her to some random poacher to get tortured!â You huff, crossing your arms. âLook, I was told about what happened in the Scriptorium. If I let myself get hit by it-â
âNo,â Ominis repeats, shaking his head quickly. âIf anyone of us is going to sacrifice ourselves, itâll be me. Anyone but you.â
âShe wonât hurt you. Any of you.â You meet each of their eyes- aside from Ominis, whose hand you take instead. âSheâs not mad at you. She considers you friends. But me?â
âThis is a bad idea, Y/N.â Sebastianâs voice sounded final, but finally, someone else spoke up in your favour.
âI can see it,â Garreth begins, holding a hand to his chin. âTempt her, make her think everything is their fault.â
âThat wonât be difficult,â Natty inserts, straightening up and crossing her arms, âShe already does think that.â
âThis does not need to be discussed,â Ominis tries to interrupt, but you move to stand in front of him.
âExactly, so we do something to push it even farther. What else does she have? What would push her over the edge?â
âIâm not sure,â Garreth begins before Natty interrupts once again.
âMe.â You nod, locking eyes with her.
âYeah, she was pretty adamant that you, especially, are one of the people I tell. She wanted things to be better between you two.â
âSo we let her know that I just hate her even more.â Natty shrugs, eyes falling to the table.
âWould she really blame Y/N just for that though?â
âEliza doesnât need to be blaming Y/N for anything,â Ominis begins again, coming to stand next to you. You squeeze his hand in yours, taking a deep breath.
âSo I take her place.â They both look to you again to continue, and you nod along. âEliza thinks Iâm here to take her spot, essentially, right? So I do that. I walk Natty to classes and hang out with Garreth more. I donât know- be friends with more Gryffindors?â You chuckle blandly, âItâd help if I knew anything about the woman.â
âShe likes Transfiguration class, I think sheâs friends with Garrethâs aunt.â
âStop!â Ominis yells out, pushing you away from the table and stepping between you and the group. He leans in close to whisper, panic etched across his face. âThis is absolutely too dangerous. We donât know which Unforgivable sheâll use in the first place, and you donât need to be anywhere near any of them to begin with.â
Your chest tightens in guilt, scanning the obvious worry on his face. You wait too long, choking on the words that you need to do this, youâd likely do it even if he didnât know- Ominis eventually takes both of your hands and raises them to his face, placing a gentle kiss on each. Your shoulders fall slowly, and your next words are whispered for him.
âOk, I wonât do it.â
You were laughing with Imelda and Garreth in the Central Hall, walking outside with brooms slung across your shoulders. Eliza was rushing past, and you back up quickly once spotting her. Garreth grabs your arm, forcing you to halt your retreat. He sends you a look and you gulp, nodding. Imelda hardly even noticed the interaction, only slowly enough to let you catch back up and then continue on. She was running commentary on the last Quidditch game, trying to decide which manoeuvre she needed to practice with more.
âSee, my feint was pretty horrid- but that was against Ravenclaw. Itâs Hufflepuff this time, and I donât think feinting will be the strongest- hey, are you even listening to me?â
âOf course we are, Imelda,â Garreth reassured her with a pat on her shoulder, stretching from your other side. You tried to walk forward with a poker face, but you couldnât find it in yourself to think up any response to Imeldaâs Quidditch talk while also trying to project false confidence.
âWow, Imelda.â The three of you turn at the same time, your eyes locking with Eliza. This was the middle of the Central Hall- she wouldnât try anything here, right? âMucking with the mudbloods now? How would your family feel about that?â The slur was a spear to your chest, and sure youâve heard it before but not recently. Not since starting this year and becoming friends with your current friend group. Looking over at Imelda, you could see hurt and confusion all laced together across her face.
âWait, Eliza? What-â She moves to stand on her other foot, seeming off-balanced. âI thought you were different than that? Granted, Iâve only ever met you on the track.â She shakes her head, looking to see you, then lifts her gaze toward Garreth. âCâmon guys, no use wasting time on this worthless person.â She then just turns and walks away, as if it were that easy.
With Garreth nudging you to follow, you turn as well and begin to walk away. Thereâs something there about turning your back on your enemy, but it actually worked. It really was that easy, to turn and walk away from Eliza. Maybe if you were Imelda or Garreth. Luckily, you had both of them flanking you. However, from then on you could spot Imelda sending you concentrated looks, almost as if she was trying to figure something out.
Breakfast in the Great Hall was a relaxed affair, and with such youâve been able to eat your breakfast at the Slytherinâs table every morning since befriending Ominis. Sebastian always sat across from you, Ominis to your right, and Imelda right across from him. The four of you would always joke, and Imelda would wait for the newspaper to fall from the owls before immediately scanning the sports pages like her life depended on it. The rest of you hardly ever got mail- aside from Sebastianâs once-a-week letter from Anne. She was currently living under constant mediwix care nowadays, and Sebastian was anxious to graduate so he could more easily follow leads that could give him the cure.
A letter dropped in front of Ominis, halting the conversation between you and Sebastian. Imelda was already absorbed in her papers, and Ominis had frozen the moment the letter had touched the table. From your spot next to him, all you could really see was the fancy script and Ominisâ name.
âOminis, you know thereâs-â
âYes, I know Sebastian.â Ominis slowly reached forward, taking told of the letter and pulling it under the table. He retrieved his wand from the table, bringing it under as well. You turned a confused expression toward Sebastian, who was quick to explain in mumbles.
âOminis does this when he doesnât want anyone sneaking a peek at his letter. Heâll just tap his wand to the letter and have his spell read the words into his ear.â He falls silent and you both wait, anxiously looking over to Ominis to try and discern any type of reaction. Finally, Ominis sucks in a harsh gasp, and Sebastian widens his eyes. âHey, whatâs wrong?â
âDid something happen? Who sent you the letter Ominis?â Your questions were quick, and you could hear the panic in your own voice. You couldnât regret it, though, when Ominisâ face looked so stricken.
âThat was my mother,â Ominis whispered, eyes staring blankly forward. He sounded both breathless and confused, then started shaking his head. âShe- but she told me before-â
âDo we need to go somewhere safe, Ominis?â
âShe told me she wouldnât be setting me up. That I was too defective for- but then who requested me?â
âRequested you?â You question him more, reaching a hand out to grab his arm. âWhat are you talking about?â He finally turns his face in your direction, expression falling into something grief-stricken.