Ominis' return had been silent; she hadn't realised he had collapsed into the bed next to her until screams woke her, but they wasn't her screams. His face twisted in agony, tears streamed down his face and his body thrashed. For once she was calming him, her fingers brushed his pulse. Rushing to grab a cool cloth, she brushed his fringe away; his eyes opening in fear
"Eva..."
"I'm here Ominis" her voice broke him into sobs, she had never seen him so broken, so hurt. He never cried so openly, in the time she knew him she'd heard his voice falter once, yet in front of her was a broken man.
"You didn't have to move me away, he's hit me with it before, you know he has"
"I couldn't hear you scream Eva; you're too delicate, too fragile. It would have killed what was left of my heart to hear you cry like an injured doe snared in a trap. I've become quite attached to you this last month" her heart stopped and restarted, she had to agree that she had become attached to him in a sense too
"It would have been better than watching you like that. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt you. If it wasn't for Professor Weasley I think I would have"
"I suppose, I'll have to give Poppy my thanks. Headmaster Black told me she had held me down, I can't imagine that's easy for a girl of her height"
"She can handle a lot larger than you, she's mastered riding hippogriffs and taming dragons. I'm sure Ominis Gaunt of 6ft 2 is tiny to her" he seemed to have calmed, climbing back in next to him, Eva traced images on the arc of his neck. Lulling him back to sleep.
It had been awkward at breakfast; Eva had watched Ominis strut to Poppy, bowing smartly as he gave thanks for her intervention and how grateful he was and in her debt for it, she had stumbled over her words of it being no problem. Eva swore he could make anyone he wanted fumble with his charming grin and well thought words. The hall adorned with cherubs floating, giggling innocently. Even the ghosts exchanging their gifts to those they desired. Candles changed to baby pinks, the ceiling was light blue with fluffy white clouds swirling around. Chatters of who would get the most flowers or anonymous poems.
"Wow, he seems a lot better than before. I've never seen anyone recover that fast" Poppy didn't know how he had spent his childhood having it cast on him for simply messing up, for refusing to conform to his families ways of purity and harming others. She didn't want Poppy to pity Ominis
"I think he's just very resilient, even if he's in pain he won't show it" Poppy nodded in agreement, she so desperately wanted to tell her of what he said in the night, she wanted Poppy to agree it had meaning behind it, that there was something more to his words. But he had chosen to sit closer than the day before, even though he feigned not to be listening she knew he was overhearing it all
"Of course, are you excited? I'm not one for romance but even I get a little excited when they deliver flowers to the classrooms. I think it's just so sweet to watch people's faces light up" even now her face was overjoyed
"Not really, don't get me wrong I love romance and people confessing their feelings for it" pausing she knew Ominis could hear her, she had to think her next words carefully "but I'm more for actions than flowers. I'd rather they just say it as is than anonymous poems and flowers. But it is nice to see people light up at being thought of" Eva made a mental note to send Poppy some chrysanthemums, not only was they her favourite but she knew they symbolised friendship so she'd know they came from her. She pondered whether to send some to Ominis, would she be out of line to do so? Fidgeting with her ring at the thought.
Eva had opted not to send some to Ominis but ensured Poppy would get flowers during herbology; she knew it was right when the chubby cherub flew in singing Poppy's name
"Poppy, gentle tamer of animals, dearest to my heart. Your friend sends you flowers, to appreciate all that you are!" Professor Garlick knew they had been Eva, along with Poppy. She nodded at her choice of flower.
"Yet there is more for Poppy, soft of heart and strong of mind. Ominis Gaunt sends his gratitude, with bunches of tulips and note that the kneazles you spotted are safe in sanctuary under your name. Visit when you wish" wings sounding like a hummingbird it disappeared in a pop
"Th-thank you Ominis. I'd say we're even on debt now" briefly embracing him
"I would say so too Poppy. If you'll excuse me, I think my plant needs tending to"
Poppy's mouth dropped at Eva
"I hope he's got you something, or he may find a mandrake at his door!" Oh Poppy, ever caring
"Honestly Poppy I don't mind if I get nothing. We're not a thing really, it's just an arrangement" Poppy could spot Ominis' face briefly flash a frown her direction
"Don't say that Eva. I think deep down he cares. I think you should get him something small. Think it over, he does have feelings under that cold exterior" she was right, damn it Poppy.
Eva had spent the rest of lessons and by lunch had decided to ask from the cherub a small doll, the cherub had given her a look of confusion at such a strange request but upon asking if she wanted her name attached she pondered a moment
"Just title the note delicate doll. Thank you" it had been set to deliver in potions, a lesson she was glad she had switched for astronomy, Professor Sharps teaching of barking orders and treating it like a tactical military operation gave her enough headache, she'd rather spare the look on seeing Ominis reaction to something that had her grinning like she'd gone insane.
"It was you wasn't it Eva? You sent him the doll" Crap, she had forgotten Poppy took potions
"Fuck, I forgot you did potions... how did he react?" Dropping a sugar cube into her tea Poppy had her on tender hooks as she sipped
"Well, once the cherub placed it on his desk, he felt it for about 5 minutes, he kept muttering delicate doll with this grin like a lion being presented a meal. But it did take him, and the whole class by surprise. It certainly had people talking, even Professor Sharp couldn't get them to stop! He threatened to keep us from dinner! I think I would have killed you if I had to spend longer than them 5 hours in potions! It's already draining enough having the lessons back to back, never mind if he'd held us behind!" Tucking into the medium rare steak paired with potatoes, peas and red wine sauce she had to admit she was bold for doing it. Maybe not as bold as Ominis walking in with sunflowers and red roses, coming her way
"Eva I suggest you swallow that piece of food now and quickly wipe your lips. Gaunt incoming" Poppy almost threw the napkin in her face, a sense of urgency to her voice, what in Merlin's hat was wrong with her?
"Eva..." oh, oh fuck he had flowers, his hair loose and free of gel, a delightful coal black cape with red trimming adorned him, bringing out the paleness of his skin, his eyes piercing blue with clear white
"Ominis... what are you doing?" Taking the flowers he had placed in her arms next to Poppy, she had already buried her face into it to inhale the radiant scent it gave off from the mix. The hall had fallen deadly silent, people staring over at what was unraveling
"I must admit Eva, I didn't plan to be so public about it, however after hearing you think it's just an arrangement to Poppy I decided it simply couldn't do. You shouldn't feel like a secret, or that we aren't anything. I wouldn't take an unforgivable for just anyone. You forget, a lot of people forget, I hear a lot more than I let on. Even in pain I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy I could hear you through it" Poppy was such a sucker with her aww, Eva didn't know what to say or how to react. She knew there had to be a motive behind it, somewhere he was playing a game of chess and was putting her into check. Yet he continued
"No games, I told you I would in a sense put a claim on you. This is me doing so. I would take Crucio again for you, if it ensured you was safe. Just don't go out of your way to put me in that situation" hundreds of eyes stared, waiting for her response. She had none, she felt frozen, no games? Oh there had to be, he had said months. What had changed? She couldn't let him stand there; brow furrowed, awkwardly biting his lip, whilst he was standing tall she knew he was opening up in some sense, fuck it do it her brain urged, she couldn't leave him hanging. Not like this.
Standing on her tiptoes Eva put her lips on his, Ominis was gentler, softer, something was different in the moment, he wasn't rough as he kissed her. It made her chest burst and stomach twist; she had momentarily forgot where she was stood, it was that damn cologne of his. She snapped back to reality at Poppy's girlish squeal ringing through her ears. Even those around them was whooping cheers and applauding Ominis display. Leaning to her ear he whispered
"Delicate dolls don't get claimed privately. They get taken publicly by those greedy of their worth" a low chuckle. Pecking her cheek with a kiss he walked right back out, she knew he had a game going on the sly dog. He was a master at manipulating a room when he wanted to; and he had just won over half of Hogwarts with his display of grandeur.
Eva almost didn't want to go back into the room with Ominis, he had played dirty and won the round. Yet she still found herself walking back in; throwing down her robe to change to her casual beige shirt with green skirt, the garments Ominis had bought taunting her. Slamming it shut, groaning at the doll sitting atop his bedside table
"Tense? Poor Eva, you have to be careful when so delicate, just a blow from the wind and you may crack that beautiful face of yours" he had definitely gotten more smug, or an overinflated ego in the last hour
"You tricked me Gaunt, that was a dirty trick. I'm going to The Three Broomsticks" gripping her wrist she stopped in her paces
"There's no need, I already have fire whiskey in that cabinet over there. I debated pouring it down your throat one night, go, pour a glass"
"No, I'm pissed with you. You don't say something that public for me to lower my guard to prove to me it was bullshit" his smug demeanour changed briefly to confusion
"I never lied with my words. You know I refuse to. It doesn't mean I can't toy at the same time with you, it just means you're known as mine publicly. I told you I would claim you. And I'll do so as I see fit" her glass brimmed to the top, shoving one in his hand, at least if his hand was full he couldn't convince her that way. Half the glass of whiskey sizzled down her throat, for a second warming her chest
"It was still a shitty thing to do Ominis. For a moment I thought you actually had some emotion in that ice cube you call a heart"
"And I do, I wouldn't take a curse for anyone, especially that one. You know what my parents did, what my siblings did with that curse to me. If I had no emotions I would have let Sebastian hit you with it. Sometimes I wonder if you're blind or just idiotic, because you clearly can't see the bigger picture can you?" Her blood boiled at being called idiotic
"No I clearly don't, so enlighten me? I knew there was an agreement. I didn't mind your conditions, I enjoyed them. But for Merlin's sake you almost had me thinking you cared! Th-"her sentence cut off to pain shooting down her back, slammed into the wall by Ominis
"Don't say I don't care Eva, I'm trying, I'm fucking trying here! Get it through your skull! I care more than you think, terms are for me to protect myself, so that I can control what happens!" His grip loosening, kneeling to the floor, Eva crouched next to him, rubbing her hand down his back
"Don't you see, I lost you once. If I can't control all this, I'd lose you again. I'm before you on my knees, do you want me to beg you to stay? To beg you to see it my way? That I NEED you besides me as I sleep, not a want, but a burning need. That night in the Undercroft I wanted to do so much more than just slip my fingers in you, I wanted to have you trembling, screaming my name in ecstasy. But I couldn't, I couldn't lose that power I had over you. It would give in to my selfish needs. Fuck. Maybe you should go to Hogsmeade, I don't want to lose what little I have left of self control Eva" she felt torn, she didn't want to leave him like this, but part of her feared what could be if he did lose that shred.
5 whiskeys later she felt guilty, Poppy had jumped to agree when Eva had pounded on the common room door, screaming her name in distress. The walk there had been silent but after a few she confessed everything that had happened. Poppy had spat half of her glass onto the table, much to Sirona's displeasure
"And you still came here after he said that? Eva that's cold. He wanted you to stay"
"He told me to go, I figured it was best thing at the time. Now I'm not so sure" staring into her empty glass, holding it up for Sirona to top up, Eva and Poppy was the only two at that time of the night but Sirona knew best than to go sit down unless invited, but she had her opinions on the whole situation, wiping the remains of Poppy's drink from the old wooden table with a cloth she looked to Eva
"I know you don't want to hear someone else's opinion, but it would do best if you listen. That boy may have been crude in his words; but whilst he's playing a game of control he's right, he's been hurt, abandoned by those who are his own blood, those he considered blood and he thinks you coming back is redemption. However he's going about it wrong, if it's what you like I won't judge. But you need to open them big eyes of yours and see through his facade. You need to go back and maybe open them damn ears. You're a grown ass woman at 18 not a 15 year old who was naive and blindly following everything in front of her. Get your shit together" pouring another set for them both, residing to the bar to put stools away with a flick of her wand, candles extinguishing besides where Poppy and Eva sat, the room felt closed off in a way, they took it as their time to go. Apologising and thanking Sirona again with promises to work at the weekend to make up for it, Sirona tapped her arm with the cloth and a forgiving grin
"Remember what I said, get your shit together or I'll make you clean the largest barrel out that reeks of brandy, I expect you waltzing in here Saturday evening to tell me you owned it" the doors locking behind them.
The streets of Hogsmeade have never been this empty; or Eva had never noticed it before, street lamps lit the path out to Hogwarts.
"Poppy, do you sometimes think what we'd be doing if Black hadn't added an extra year?"
"Well I imagine we'd still be stumbling out of that place. Except it would be SO much easier to get back as you'd just go to your cottage, no doubt we'd be kicking back with snacks and drinking some more, our single hearts crowing over having no one" nudging Eva's shoulder in fits of giggles
"Yes! Oh our lonely hearts, but you KNOW the snacks we'd bring back would be heavenly right now" in some way she knew if this additional year wasn't added, she wouldn't have seen Ominis again. A crow rested in a nearby tree, eyeing them as they walked, the positive was they could walk safely back without fear of poachers coming from behind the trees. The forbidden forest had calmed, centaurs peacefully protected the woods once more.
The walk through Hogwarts has been entertaining to say the least, Poppy doused in vinegar at hitting the wrong barrel, getting it right on the third go. Eva had yelled for her to shower or she'd smell like a gherkin at breakfast. She could swear the stairs was moving with her; or maybe that was the whiskey, laughing at Peeves throwing down an unsuspecting knight. Ghosts groaning at Peeves hour of craziness, going out their way to float through the walls as he glided down the hallway
"Naughty, naughty, Eva wandering at this time of night!" She threw a balled up piece of parchment out her coat at him, she knew it would go through but the intention was still there. Peeves gave a shrill cackle, drifting through to his bathroom.
Standing outside Ominis door, she braced herself for the aftermath. Yet she found nothing out of place; the glasses previously on the dresser gone, her robe folded and placed in its rightful place, her flowers displayed neatly in a decorative vase, a mermaid swimming around the base, pausing briefly to flick her golden locks over her shoulder. Ominis asleep in his bed, his hair damp and skin still glistened at the droplets. Stumbling out her clothes she collapsed into the bed exhausted, she was still angry at him, but Sirona's words made some sense when her head was swimming. By the morning she would probably be back to annoyed at him, but for now she enjoyed the sweet musk he naturally gave off. Snuggling in she was more than drunk, but that was morning Eva's problem.
"Fuck. Drunk Eva you are a dick! What happened to water before bed? Not cool" slightly stumbling to the en suite, she hadn't been into this one, opting to freshen up in the girls bathroom. It was magnificent, the bath had slate steps, that descended in to a deep tub, how she was looking forward to this, to just sink in and let her troubles go with the bubbles.
"You seem in a better mood" Ominis huffed "I'll at least be joining you in here it has space for two, move up" leaning back she stared at the illusion of raining clouds above them, cheeks reddening from the temperature
"You seem huffy as ever, it's best if I stay quiet and let you say whatever is stewing in that brain of yours" the water rippling at her sudden movement
"You're right. I'm pissed off. Because I am trying, I do care, and you know in that brain of yours I was also right in what I said. I wouldn't take Crucio for anyone; I could have let you take it again like you have before, but I didn't. And I was honest that I didn't want to lose what control I had left, you left for so long, it broke something inside me. I wanted people to know of what I felt, yes it was apart of so you couldn't deny we was something, yes it meant I had my claim over you for everyone to know. But surely you would feel some pride in that? That we didn't have to hide it?" Placing his hand to his chest; her steely resolve softened slightly at his sincerity, she had begun to learn when his eyes wrinkled at the side he was speaking genuine
"Okay... it's just- just a lot Ominis. I thought I still had time to figure out if I wanted it to be out there" sinking lower into the bubbles, why did he want to talk deep at this time of day, why couldn't it be when she had at least eaten and maybe several cups of coffee, the illusion clouds clearing to show a peek of sun behind them
"I got impatient and decided to take that step myself. I said months but I didn't expect what happened either. In some sense Sebastian changed my mind in that split second decision. I didn't want to keep you locked away in here, sneaking like you was committing crimes. At least look at it my way" it was way too early for this. She could only hope Poppy didn't felt as bad as she did.