Sebastian had said nothing.
When Professor Sharp said no one would marry me, Sebastian had not one word to say. Only Ominis had defended me.
I ran all the way from Professor Weasley's office to the grasses outside Hogwarts, and then down to the sandy shores of the Black Lake. It was the same spot where Morgana and I had swam together at the beginning of the year. It had been sunny and warm that day; now, the beach was windy, dark, and so cold it had me shaking down to my bones.
I sat myself on a rock and made myself think. The cold sharpened my mind. This was good: I had to analyze this from all angles.
Professor Sharp was not going to allow this to be ignored; he was going to make Ominis and I marry. Why Professor Sharp was monitoring the owlery in the first place was still a mystery. Perhaps he had decided to patrol the area. Maybe he was tipped off by someone.
The truth was, I wanted to get married someday. But to a man that I chose, not a man that was chosen for me.
Ominis would not be a terrible match; but it felt wrong. If I had accepted his proposal, Ominis would have resented me.
I forced myself to consider the positives to marrying him. Ominis was a friend that I trusted. He came from a well-off, pureblood family. However, his family was also well known for their affinity for the Dark Arts. An affinity that Ominis did not share. No, Ominis was an honorable, moral man. A handsome man, I had to admit. He was serious but kind. And a fantastic student.
The longer I thought about him, the easier it became to believe that I could possibly fall in love with Ominis Gaunt.
And yet, I couldn't help but feel how heartbroken I was that Sebastian had not proposed when he had the chance. If I had the time, and the rest of the season, I would have wanted to find out if Sebastian could potentially see me as more than a friend. But his silence made his intentions clear tonight. He didn't want me.
I was on the beach for so long that the sky began to lighten from black to dark blue. The sun would be making its way up soon. And I would need to make my decision. Perhaps it was not too late to ask Ominis-
I hesitated, hearing the sounds of grumbling. Someone was approaching my hiding spot. I heard them curse.
"God damn this blasted sand-"
I whipped around. Ominis Gaunt was coming down the beach in a billowing black cloak. He would have looked perfectly majestic in the dawn, had he not been fighting with the slippery sand beneath his feet.
"Ominis!" I called out to him, wind whipping my hair and scarf.
"Prisma!" He called back. "I've found you. Finally."
"You've been looking for me all night?" I gasped. I went to meet him, clutching his hands to keep him steady.
"I could not rest until I spoke to you." Ominis felt my hands. "You're as cold as ice."
"Oh, Ominis. How did we get ourselves into this mess?" My eyes stung with frozen tears. "I did not mean to trap you in a marriage. I know how much it means to you to marry for love. couldn't allow you to propose to me. I just couldn't."
Ominis loomed over me with an unreadable expression. "Are you done talking now?" He asked.
I looked up at his pale eyes, and felt a raindrop land on my cheek. It was starting to rain. "Yes."He was probably sick of hearing me blubber by now, and was going to give me an earful about how irresponsible I was.
"Good. Then, let me be frank. No one- and I mean no one- traps Ominis Gaunt." He said firmly. "My proposal to you came from a place of sincerity. You are one of the few women in this castle I can trust. One of the few people I can trust. We may not love each other. But if I had to take this chance with you or someone else, I would pick you in a heartbeat."
I did not know Ominis had so many kind things to say about me. I had actually always assumed he disliked me.
He put a hand to my cheek. It felt good there; warm. His fingers traced my jaw, my brow, the curve of my lips. I became instantly aware of how close Ominis and I had become; our bodies pressed together to keep warm. Something shifted within me. Suddenly, the image of 5th year Ominis was no more. Now, I saw him as a striking young man.
"So let me ask you again," he said. "Properly this time."
He reached into his cloak pocket and produced a ring.
"Prisma St. Cloud, will you marry me?"
I hardly looked at the ring. I was looking instead at Ominis- at his face, his hardened eyes, his slightly parted lips. It was honest. He meant what he said.
"Yes," I replied. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Ominis slipped the ring onto my finger. Again, I didn't look at it- but I recall feeling the cool metal and weight.
"May I kiss you?" He asked.
I knew neither of us loved the other. But, it made sense to seal a deal with a kiss. So, with a lump in my throat, I replied, "Yes."
I will always remember my first kiss with Ominis Gaunt. It was my first kiss with anyone at all. His movements were careful, and slow, as though he were afraid of hurting me. And when his lips met mine, it was a gentle brush, filled with much, much hesitance. The thought occurred to me that perhaps he was slightly disgusted, and was forcing himself to kiss me.
Then, I discovered that his hesitance was merely restraint. It was a mystery what had triggered him to finally kiss me with all his strength- but after a heartbeat or two, his lips were firmly on mine. He pulled me closer with hasty hands.
When he finally allowed himself to kiss me completely, a sensation much like electricity occurred in my stomach. Slowly, his hands began to roam, feeling more of me, my corset, the curve of my ribcage. When his hands traveled to my chest, an involuntary moan escaped from my mouth and into his.
"Ominis." I broke away from the kiss, too bashful to continue.
"Im sorry." He stepped away, as if he were afraid of me- or perhaps afraid of himself. "Forgive me. I-I struggle with self restraint. Obviously."
"It's alright." Before today I hadn't imagined myself with Ominis, and he likely had never thought of himself with me, either. But that kiss was incredible. Before it was even over, I wanted another; and then ten more after that.
There was much that went unsaid as we left the beach. I knew we both did not love each other. But we were together, and we were comfortable. It seemed to be a happy resolution for everyone.
Until Sebastian finds out, that is.
Author's note: WAAAAOW they are engaged!!! Incredible!!! Welcome to the second big twist of the story. Just a heads up, we are about halfway through. I'm having so much fun writing this.
And side note: just because she is engaged to Ominis, does not mean that Sebastian is out of this game........