After breakfast, Ominis took her by her healthy hand and gently pulled her out of the hall. Hazel turned to her uncle, hoping she wouldn't have to send him an owl, and caught him looking after them with a frown. She made a quick motion between herself and Ominis and her uncle just nodded. Hazel sighed.
"What's wrong?" ominis asked her directly, but did not stop. She gently squeezed his hand. "I think my uncle doesn't agree with our relationship" she murmured thoughtfully. He returned her squeeze. "Well, there could be a lot of reasons for that. Among other things, when you couldn't hear anything, I snapped at him pretty badly when it came to the Malfoys" he revealed to her.
When she winced at the mention of the name >Malfoy<, he frowned and gently ran his thumb over the back of her hand. He hadn't known how much it still affected her.
"Y-you snapped at my uncle?" she asked, startled. Ominis laughed softly as they left the castle through the front entrance. He heard her sigh in relief as they stepped out the door of this huge castle and she relaxed a little more.
"Yes. I made it clear to him that I would not tolerate the way you were treated. That it was my business if my girlfriend was tortured and hurt, and that I could not guarantee their safety if something happened to you again for which they were to blame. After that, I told you to tell him about what happened in the library. Are you okay?" he asked as she clung to his hand. She sheepishly loosened her grip. "Sorry. I-I just... don't like to think about that." she mumbled. Ominis gave her an apologetic look.
"Anyway, I was quite harsh. Even if I rather think it has something to do with my family" he told her his thoughts about it. "I have more concerns about my family..." she murmured.
"So, theoretically, you and I don't have to worry about that. Our families are both purebloods and obsessed with power. Our relationship would fit both families in their image. But your uncle and you are outsiders in your family. Maybe he's worried that this will bring you back into the clutches of your family, who had...well...sorry. Or that I'm introducing you to the Dark Arts, because it's a traditional sport in my family, but one I've abandoned. Actually, I have generally abandoned my family, but few people know that," he explained gloomily.
"It's a shame that we even need to abandon our families. I'm becoming less and less comfortable with things I'm learning about my family, too. Oh no!" Hazel slapped her hand over her mouth in shock as she remembered her mother's package sitting unopened on her nightstand.
"What's wrong?" Ominis asked, startled when her hand disappeared from his. "Mom's package! How could I forget!" she exclaimed. Ominis laughed. "Shall we go get it quickly?" he offered with a smile, extending his hand to her again. "That would be nice. I feel terrible for not answering her yet! She always worries so quickly!" she sighed and grabbed his hand. In all these weeks she hadn't written to her parents once "If I'm honest, I'd like to change and freshen up too, if you don't mind" she confessed to him. She was still wearing yesterday's pants, skirt and shirt and sweater. " As long as you are comfortable and happy, little snake" Ominis smiled at her. Hazel blushed. "I'm always happy with you," she mumbled sheepishly and pulled him back towards the castle.
When she had showered and was about to dress in the small bathroom, one of her spells went a bit off and her light corset, which she wore over her undergarment, as usual, began to strangulate her. Ominis heard the air being forced from Hazel's lungs.
"Hazel?" he called anxiously, putting aside the book he had been reading with his wand and standing up. When she did not answer and he heard only short breaths, he hurried to the door and knocked. "Hazel, what's going on? Do you need help?" he called out. He heard the lock click, opened the door and let his vision pass over his eyes. He blushed a little when he perceived that she was standing in front of him in undergarments, but his embarrassment disappeared when he realized what was going on. The corset was too tightly laced.
"Calm down, I'll help you" he murmured, fiddling with the corset's laces. He tried hard not to think about the fact that he could feel her body heat through the thin fabric. When he had finished and she had taken a few deep breaths, he took away his hand, which he had placed reassuringly on her back, and discreetly turned around. It was, of course, only for the reason that she didn't feel so exposed and not to hide his red head.
"Are you all right?" he asked sheepishly. "By all Gods, if I wasn't so grateful to you right now, I'd die of embarrassment," she muttered, clinging to the edge of the sink. "Th-that's what I'm doing for you right now. Everything okay now?" he murmured. She giggled a little breathlessly and turned to him, kissing him on the cheek from behind and putting a hand on his arm.
"Thank you. Hey, remember, you already sensed me half naked when you healed my wounds. And I don't regret that!" she laughed softly and pushed him away from the door to close it again. "I don't regret that either!" he called after her, shaking his head.
When she finally came out, she was wearing a white blouse with ruffles on the collar and sleeves, over it a green vest with lacing in the front and a matching green skirt, which looked two-layered, with ruffles at the end of each layer, which reached to her ankles. Underneath were tights and black boots. It was quite a simple and feminine outfit.
As she grabbed her brush from the nightstand, Ominis took it from her hand. As the brush got tangled in the charred strands, she sighed wistfully. "Is there a hair salon in Hogsmeade? We really need to do something about these charred strands. It looks horrible!" she moaned unhappily. Ominis smiled and carefully tried to brush out the charred bits. He succeeded only a little. "It's bad enough I still have to wear this bandage and this patch," she sighed.
Ominis ran his hand delicately over the plaster on her left cheek. "It's only half bad, darling. We can go straight to Madam Snellings first. She can definitely help you there, my darling" he assured her in a warm voice. She sighed.
"Thanks. Sorry if I mess up your whole plans for the day" she said apologetically, but he shook his head. "It's all good" he laughed softly. "I honestly didn't really have that much in mind when I asked you. I just wanted to spend time with you and get your mind off things" he confessed with a smile.
She sighed when he touched her cheek, grabbed his hand and gave him a kiss on the back of it. "You are so sweet to me" she sighed smiling. He tied her hair ribbon once again in a way that kept her hair out of her face, but open flowed down her back and then hugged her from behind.
"We both deserve some happiness, don't you think, my little snake?" he murmured in her ear, laughing softly as she shivered and then leaned against him. "You're probably right" she laughed softly.
When he let go of her, she turned around and carefully put her arms around his neck, not ready to let him go yet. Ominis laughed and put his hands on her hips. "A little clingy today, milady?" he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. In response, she stretched a bit to kiss him gently. "Today? Always" she replied, smiling. "I love you" he replied. "And I love you" she answered.
After a few minutes, they separated from each other. "Don't forget the package, my dear," Ominis reminded her of the real reason they had gone back to the castle. "Oh, thank you. I forgot all about that again. You just make my head spin!" she laughed, walking around the bed and grabbing her mother's small, square package from the nightstand. She came back around and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment. She fumbled the letter out of the package's lacing and read it quickly.
Our dearest daughter,
We miss you terribly, but don't worry. We will be fine.
You and Star are greatly missed by the bunnies, so give your furry friend greetings from his friends. They are fine too!
Your dad got hurt again at the factory and is complaining that it's his turn to cook! He wants you to know that he misses your stew.
How are you? What's it like at the boarding school? Have you already made friends? You have to tell us everything! We are very curious what stories you have to tell about this place my dear.
When do you have vacation? We would be happy to have you at home during your vacations.
We look forward to hearing from you!
With love
Mom and Dad
P.S: Enjoy the cookies and share with your friends!
Hazel laughed as she read the letter. "They say Star and I are greatly missed and Father complains that he has to cook now because he can't work right now. That old clumsy fool! And I was right. Mother had baked" she explained to Ominis with a laugh and began to open the package. She sighed in pleasure when she smelled her mother's cookies. She pressed a cookie into Ominis' hand and then took a bite of one herself, closing her eyes with relish.
Ominis laughed when he heard her sigh and then tasted them as well. "These are really good!" he then said in amazement. Ominis had always thought that, apart from honeydukes, the house-elves of Hogwarts were the best bakers, but that opinion had changed - as far as cookies were concerned - at that moment. "Yeah, right? I really need to get some to Noreen" Hazel agreed and started rummaging through the nightstand drawer. "Ah Perfect" she muttered when she found a Clean Cloth Handkerchief. She wrapped a few cookies in it, tied it all together with an old hair ribbon of hers and attached a note to it. "The promised cookies, Hazel," it said. She put the box on the nightstand and stood up. "When we get outside, I'll call Lilly. Otherwise I'll just forget again" she said sheepishly and turned to Ominis, who was just getting up.
When they had, once again, left the castle, Hazel whistled her tune to call Lilly. The snow owl appeared only a moment later, looking almost offended at Hazel as she landed on her arm. "Lilly, you've certainly made new friends too haven't you? So don't look at me like that. Don't give him an evil stare either! Do I still have to teach you manners madam? That's a good girl. Look, I even brought you owl cookies. Yes, you like that, don't you? I love you too, pretty one." Ominis was fascinated, as always, by the naturalness with which she spoke to animals. As her tone changed from a scolding, to an affectionate cooing, he heard the owl nibble on the cookies and hoot softly back.
"So, now I want you to take this to Noreen, you hear? To the nurse in the hospital wing. Thank you, my beautiful. See you later" she said goodbye as the owl grabbed the bundle with her claws and fluttered away.
"It always fascinates me how you talk to the animals. I always get the feeling they listen to you too" Ominis said with a laughing undertone in his voice as he offered her his arm in a gentlemanly manner. "That's because they do, my love," Hazel laughed back.
Fortunately, the way to Hogsmeade remained uneventful, they reached the village without incident. "It's always nice to go to Hogsmeade. I love this lively nature here. Everything is so colorful and cheerful" Hazel said happily as they passed the first colorful houses. Ominis had to admit that he found it really cute how excited she still was about so many things that were so natural and normal for him and almost everyone else.
Laughing, Ominis pulled a perplexed Hazel aside as an enchanted cart sped toward them, a breathlessly chasing witch on its heels. "Look out! This thing is out of control! BEWARE!" the witch screamed. Hazel laughed, pulled out her wand, and naturally ended the failed spell without thinking. When the cart stopped, the witch ran into it in surprise and the contents tumbled around. "Oh dear," Hazel exclaimed when she saw what she had done. Ominis sighed, smiling and shaking his head, and walked slowly after her as she ran to the witch.
Hazel helped the witch to stand up. "I'm so sorry! I was just trying to help!" she apologized and put the cart contents back where they belonged. The witch patted her clothes off and laughed. "Don't! If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be chasing that thing all the way to Lower Hogsfield. Thank you very much!" she thanked Hazel cheerfully, grabbing the cart by the handles and now pulling it by hand. Hazel laughed, waving her wand without a word, and the witch laughed in surprise when the cart suddenly became lighter.
Laughing, Ominis stood next to Hazel. "You're just incorrigible," he laughed. Hazel shrugged her shoulder with a grin. "I just can't help it. If someone needs help, I help" she replied good-humoredly and hooked up with him again. He quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek before leading her through the village to the hair salon.
"Good heavens, beautiful! What happened to you!" Madame Snellings exclaimed when the two had entered the parlor and told her Hazel's dilemma. "An exploded, burning oil lantern!" sighed Hazel, frustrated at how tactlessly the witch reacted. Ominis frowned in displeasure. "Those beautiful curls" Madame Snellings sighed sadly as she looked at Hazel's hair. "Don't worry, my pretty one. We'll fix that, but after that, they'll be a little shorter. Don't worry!" added Madame Snellings as she looked at Hazel's unhappy face. "Just a few inches. We'll cut off the burnt ends, step through your hair once to match the shorter strands, and trim the ends once. Then we wash your hair with a special tincture and in no time it will be as long as before and even healthier!" she said enthusiastically to Hazel and exuberantly led her to one of the chairs.
Hazel found the witch's manner friendly, but overly stressful and overwhelming. No matter how lively Hogsmeade seemed, people had always been rather reserved, unlike Madame Snellings. Ominis had sat down in the waiting area with a grin and was leafing through a book that had been lying on the table.
"'Your sweetheart'?" Madame Snellings whispered questioningly as she brushed Hazel's hair. Hazel turned red. She could see him grinning in the mirror, so she decided to tease him a bit. She cleared her throat and said lightly, "Oh, no! What are you thinking, we are just very good friends". She couldn't help but laugh, though, when she saw the shocked look on his face. "Yes, he is my boyfriend. And he has very good ears" she then added laughing. Now laughing she saw him shake his head and stand up. "My naughty little snake" he said affectionately and again shaking his head as he reached them.
Hazel stifled a laugh as Madame Snellings smilingly began to cut her hair. "You didn't expect that, my blind serpent. I enjoyed your shocked face" she said provocatively. Ominis snorted with a grin.
Madame Snellings watched the repartee between the two of them, smiling silently as she gleefully worked on Hazel's curls. It was refreshing not to have only chattering widows or gossiping debutantes in the store.
"I've never seen your pretty face in Hogsmeade before, miss. Could it be you've only been in the area for a very short time?" Madame Snellings chattered as the two fell silent. "Oh, yes. I started my first year at Hogwarts a few weeks ago. Or rather, the fifth!" she added with a laugh when she saw Madame Snellings' confused face.
"Oh? Then you are certainly the young girl who fought the trolls so adventurously! You've been the subject of chatter for weeks, you know!" the witch replied with a smile. Hazel blushed and bowed her head a little sheepishly. "Don't be so modest, darling. No one would believe you just learned all this if they didn't know!" ominis muttered with a grin. She slapped him on the arm. "I was just doing what needed to be done. As always" she retorted a bit angrily. She didn't like this attention, even if she enjoyed HIS attention very much.
"Now, now. You can be proud of the things you've accomplished, miss. You are young, beautiful and talented. A certain amount of pride and self-confidence certainly suits you. Now, let's wash those beautiful curls and dry them, and we're done!" Madame Snellings said to Hazel, putting her hands on her shoulders.
"So, how do you feel now, darling?" Ominis asked her as they left the salon and walked down the street to the main square. Hazel now wore her hair down, the front strands, which always fell in her face, Madame Snellings had braided back to the side and pinned together at the back with her clip. "Much better! Thank you, my darling!" she said happily. "Where are we going next?" she asked curiously as Ominis began to lead her. He smiled mysteriously as they stepped into the Great Square of Hogsmeade. Hazel followed him in confusion as he walked toward "Gladrags Wizardwear" and gently pulled her into the store.
"Oh, Miss Black, what a pleasure to see you again. Accompanied again today, I see," Augustus - the owner of the store - fluted happily. Hazel had bought or ordered many clothes from him in the last month. Moreover, the word was spreading that she was the niece of the well-known Headmaster. Something that did not always please her, as some began to treat her differently. "Hello Augustus," Hazel greeted him with a smile, but kept looking confusedly at Ominis, who was simply grinning to himself.
"Mr. Hill, we have corresponded with each other. Ominis Gaunt, if you remember" Ominis said formally. Now Hazel was even more confused. When had he written to Augustus? What had she missed? She asked herself.
"Ah, Mr. Gaunt, of course, of course. I didn't know we were talking about this young lady," Augustus replied. His gaze took on a knowing look and Hazel was more confused than ever.
"You were certainly thinking of something when you asked me out, weren't you?" she asked him skeptically, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She gave a momentary gasp of pain as she mislaid her hand, then separated her arms again.
"Just a little" he laughed excitedly. Then he suddenly pulled her to him, put his arms on her hips and made his eyes light up with his seeing magic. "It's a bit of a long time away, but Hogwarts, has a ball every year before the winter vacations. And since I know you don't have any ball gowns, I thought I'd give you the opportunity, along with Mr. Hill, to make your dream gown. Although, maybe I should ask you first if you would like to go to this ball with me?"
Hazel couldn't believe what he was offering her, what he was asking her. Her? At a ball? She had had a minimum of dance lessons, but she had never been to a ball. Ominis noticed her heart beating faster. He also noticed that her cheeks were getting warm and knew that she was blushing.
"I-I... Of course I want to go there with you! I wouldn't go at all without you!" she replied perplexedly and put her arms around his neck. "But?" ominis asked with a furrowed forehead. He sensed this >but< between them. "I-I... I don't even know how to dance at a ball. I went to a school dance, but no one ever danced with me there, and we only had a few dance lessons. I would embarrass you terribly" she replied sheepishly.
Ominis laughed. "Don't worry about that, my little snake. Believe it or not, I can dance. I'll show you. And no" he drove between her thoughts, which he guessed from her expression. "Don't worry about the money. The dress is a gift, no matter what it costs in the end" he said smiling.
When tears came to her eyes, he kissed her gently on the forehead and wiped them away before letting go. Before he knew it, he found himself in a tight hug. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before. Thank you" she whispered. He returned the hug before letting go when Augustus Hill cleared his throat.
"Oh, right. Do you remember that winter dress with the robe that you saw on your first visit here?" he asked her eagerly, while Augustus was already preparing fabric and pattern.
"You mean this deep green, long-sleeved, plain dress, with the ruffles on the sleeves and the black synthetic fur vest and matching synthetic fur-trimmed and lined robe, with the silver embroidery? What about it?" Hazel described this dress, which had been just too expensive for her to actually wear in a few months at the time. But she thought it was so pretty back then that she couldn't get it out of her head. Ominis nodded.
"Oh, nothing is wrong with it" he said mysteriously. Then Augustus rejoined them and thrust a bag into Hazel's hand. "if I were you, miss, i would try it on again. Just in case!" he said, winking at her. Hazel stared open-mouthed at Ominis. "No!" she said, speechless.
"Hey, I haven't been able to get you anything for Christmas or birthday in 10 years!" he defended himself, raising his hands defensively. "Th-that... I-I," she stammered. Then she merely sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You're going to make me cry" she then muttered. He laughed softly. "Hey, I've got a lot of catching up to do, my little snake. Now off to the cabin with you" he said lovingly, stroking her arm. "You're stupid" she muttered as she walked past him, through a door.
When she came out, she was back to her old self. "It fits perfectly!" she exclaimed, admiring herself in the mirror. Ominis again enchanted his eyes and marveled at what he could see. In the Bright Light of the store, he could see the colors and shapes very clearly with his Magical Sight. Hazel's bright and trimmed hair stood out well against the deep dark emerald green of the dress and the black of the vest, and the fabric clung tightly to her arms. The dress was quite tight around the top and then flowed gently down the hips to just above the floor. On the sleeves, were ruffles in the same color of the dress, as well as on the high-neck collar. The ruffles flashed out from under the collar of the closed synthetic fur vest.
Augustus held out the robe to Hazel and helped her put it on. It was plain black, with the same black synthetic fur on the collar, hood, and sleeves, and along the hem at the bottom. Above each of the fur trim were silver filigree embroideries that sparkled when light hit them.
"So soft," Hazel sighed happily. "I don't even know what to say, Ominis," she turned back to her boyfriend, who eyed her up and down with his magical vision. Hazel blushed when he didn't say anything at first. Augustus had already emphasized how well the dress, cut and color looked on her, but she really only cared about one opinion.
"You look fantastic, little snake. Like a princess" he said smiling. "Just don't say anything. Except maybe >thank you< or something. Now don't look like that. You know I don't expect anything in return. It's enough for me to see how happy you are. That's all I ever want" he said.
Hazel had to pull herself together again to keep from crying, but they both turned around, startled, when they heard a sniffle from further back. Augustus held a handkerchief in his hand and wiped his eyes dry. " Oh, my, young love," he sighed with emotion. Now Hazel had to laugh and jumped into Ominis' arms, who was startled out of concentration. The glow in his eyes disappeared. "Thank you, my blind serpent," she whispered in his ear before kissing him quickly.
After Hazel changed back into her clothes and Augustus carefully packed them back into the bag, they turned to the fabric and patterns. Augustus showed Hazel some samples he had in the store and changed the colors and fabrics with an illusion spell.
Ominis noticed that both Augustus and Hazel were enjoying themselves. Ominis didn't realize that Hazel had never experienced anything like this. He only knew that she did not have any ball gowns in the castle, because she could not know that there was a ball. Who would carry such a precious piece of clothing if they did not know such a thing? And if she did, it would have been destroyed by the dragon. He did not realize that she had grown up in less privileged circumstances. But she had never told much about her Muggle life, except that her mother loved to bake and she had taken care of the family rabbits herself.
Girls of her innate status usually had a tailor come at least once a month, spending days immersed in fabrics and patterns to be the prettiest or most striking at the next ball. He had known that Hazel was not like the others. He knew she didn't care much about fashion as long as she looked presentable and felt comfortable. She mixed and matched her school uniforms as she pleased, rather than wearing them as they were intended. And no one could say anything because they were all parts of the prescribed uniforms. She loved pretty dresses, like any normal girl, but for Hazel it was more of a >nice to have< instead of a must.
But this time she enjoyed just being a normal girl, chatting about colors and fabrics and cuts, laughing. Even though Ominis couldn't say as much about it, he enjoyed seeing her like this. And she didn't leave him out of it.
She knew he liked the color green on her, that he loved ruffles, and kept asking him how a fabric she found interesting felt for him. A fact that warmed his heart. He offered to make her a dress, entirely according to her wishes, and she considered him just as she considered herself. After two hours, however, they gave it up. Augustus made a note of what they had so far and Hazel promised to stop by again in the next few days.
"You're insane!" she murmured happily as they left Gladrags and he led her to the café. She denied it, but he was rock solid in his opinion that she needed to eat something. "Now you're going to fatten me up, too," she teased jokingly as he pulled the chair out in front of her. "You eat like a sparrow, you can't be fattened at all" Ominis laughed, pushing the chair towards her and sitting down himself. "I remember how excited you were about the tea and cakes. I just figured no one could resist a cake" he then replied with a smile. "Besides, I'm thirsty" he then added with a laugh.
When the waitress came, Hazel excitedly ordered an apple lavender tea and the cookies she had last time. Ominis ordered herself an Earl Grey. "Hey, if you want me to eat something, you'll have to eat something too" she said in a playful, joking tone, sticking her tongue out at him cheekily and laughing. He sighed playfully theatrically and let himself be coaxed into the same cookies.
"'Tell me, Hazel... I've been wanting to ask you this for a while now... But I never know how to begin...'" Ominis then said thoughtfully. Hazel smiled back at him, although he couldn't see it right now because he had put his wand aside.
"Just straight out" she replied. "So... I know you like to read and be outside. I also know you like animals and plants. But basically nothing else, except that your mom likes to bake and your dad apparently works in a factory" he said intently. Hazel leaned back thoughtfully and was silent for a moment. Ominis thought about grabbing his wand to see her expression, but her heartbeat told him that she didn't really like to talk about it.
"I understand that you want to know everything about me, my love. But there's not really that much to know. My mother works in a tailor shop near our house in a suburb of London and father is an accountant in a factory. He is constantly checking the equipment himself to calculate the cost when something needs to be renewed and constantly injures himself in the process. With effort and hardship they made everything possible for me. They sent me to school, found me teachers for singing, piano and violin playing, even for painting and stitching. They even paid for these incredibly expensive school uniforms for me, I will never be able to repay them no matter what I do," Hazel began to tell.
She was very grateful to her parents for trying to help her achieve a higher social status than her family held at the time. She felt terrible - now that she was allowing her feelings again - that she had to disappoint them.
"They are your parents and they love you, I'm sure of it. They expect nothing in return from you, darling," he replied as he sipped his tea. Now Hazel took a sip as well. "I... I know. Still, I must confess that I feel bad when I think of all they've done for me. Though I must have been quite a disappointment" she murmured bitterly.
"Why would you think that?" Ominis asked with a furrowed brow. "I... Ever since I woke up in that orphanage, Ominis, I haven't allowed myself to feel anything. Not really. I mean, sure, I've been curious or confused about some things, but other than that, there hasn't really been anything. No joy, no laughter, no crying. I wasn't a difficult child. Did everything my parents said, didn't make myself dirty, didn't tease anyone, didn't throw tantrums like other kids. >Yes, mother. Of course, father. As you wish.< But they never heard me laugh or cry. Never saw excitement in me, except when I was with the rabbits in the garden. That's the only reason they stopped slaughtering them. I know they were always worried about why I was like that. I mean, who wouldn't worry if their kid got roughed up at school, came home with scrapes, scratches and bruises and just showed nothing? No pain, no fear, nothing. I showed no interest in the art I was taught, the only thing I was interested in were books. They really tried to fit me into society and I know they would have even tried to send me to the debutante ball next year. But in that...state...I don't think anyone would have asked me to dance voluntarily. Now it hurts me that I caused them such worries and probably still do. Even though they will probably see it differently, that's how...real...normal...parents are, I guess," she said dejectedly.
Ominis leaned over and carefully reached for her bandaged hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Well, when you go home for the vacations, at least you can explain it to them now, can't you? I'm sure they'll understand and see a lot of things differently" he replied. "Oh, yeah. They know that something bad happened before I came to the orphanage. I screamed in my sleep for nights until I got this... stronghold inside me under control. Of red lightning and pain and magic. Now I can explain to them that it was a curse, I don't really know if that's better.... And I can explain to them that it wasn't their fault that I was like that. And I'll have to introduce you to them, because you're the only reason I don't keep my feelings permanently locked away anymore. It'll be funny, mom will probably feed you baked goods until you burst, while dad scrutinizes you to determine if you're good enough for me, because even though I was the way I was, I know they love me. And thanks to you, I can finally feel it" she said, smiling again now. He felt her fingers barely noticeably squeezing his.
"I didn't care about so many things. I mean, I was really good at school. But I never tried anything out. Never been in the choir or the lacrosse team or the drama group or the riding club. Basically, I don't even know what I like to do. Other than reading or going for walks. Stitching was relaxing in parts but...I don't know. I have the feeling that I don't really know who I am. And that I am between two worlds. The people involved with my parents will expect me to run the normal ladies game, find a man, get married and stuff. And what's expected of me here, I don't even know. Heavens, I don't even know what people generally do in the wizarding world. School and drinking butterbeer won't be the only thing," she laughed, somewhat perplexed. Now he squeezed her hand gently.
"You have so much time to figure it all out. But from the sound of it, with us you are a little freer in what you can and want to do. Of course, there are families that have a high social standing. They expect pretty much the same from their daughters, but give them freedom to learn whatever they want. As long as they go to the balls the family is invited to and make them look good. Many families let their daughters choose someone they are Satisfied with. Even if they don't always marry for love. Some families only let their children marry someone who is of Pure lineage to increase the power of the family, which is complete nonsense in my opinion. But you are not forced to do all these things like... painting or playing the violin. I know that such things are almost required of girls from rich families among the Muggles. You can just be who you are. With due politeness in public, of course," he laughed at the end.
Hazel thought and frowned again. "Well... I don't know if it's the same for witches and wizards, but as far as Muggles are concerned, I think we've broken a few etiquette rules already. Holding hands in public, cuddling up to each other by the wayside, a kiss here and there in public. Actually, we shouldn't have even met alone, the first few times," she laughed.
"Well, okay, we are a bit disorderly. But we're just labeled as young, reckless, in love, and a bit of a curiosity, and that's about it. Don't worry about such things, Hazel," he reassured her.
"I've never really thought about that before... With the Muggles, I have very few options as far as my future is concerned. I could become an accountant - which is pretty rare, but I'm good with numbers and words. I could also write for a newspaper, work in a tailor shop, or become a teacher or florist. Nanny or maid for some rich family. Work on farms, in the fields. Or, of course, just housewife and childbearing machine. But, if I'm honest, I don't see myself in any of those" she sighed. Ominis laughed softly and shook his head.
"Well, all of that is possible here too. You could become a professor and teach at Hogwarts or other schools, or work for the Ministry in so many departments. There are so many opportunities in the Ministry alone. You could work for the Department of Magical Creature Management and Supervision, either directly under the Ministry as a wildlife keeper or independently, you could work in the Department as a dragon researcher, investigating epidemics, registering werewolves and animagi, and reporting and eliminating dangerous or unpleasant animal creatures. There are also offices for communication with goblins or centaurs and the office for the distribution of house elves. There is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where you could work as an Auror, as a guard in the Minestery Building, or as a Security Witch. Then there is the Department of International Magical Cooperation. There you would be a kind of ambassador or translator for the various magical governments, there is also the International Trade Committee, the Department of Magical Law and the like. The Department of Magical Transportation, where every port key that is officially used is registered, where they give out the certificates of Aperating, monitor the floo network, and do research to improve the means of transportation. Oh, and there is the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They oversee everything to do with Quidditch and such. But you might want to talk to Professor Weasley about that, she'll be able to tell you more. But you could also just run your own store. A tavern or pup, a cafe, a store for animal creatures or potions or potion ingredients. Oh, there's also the mystery department, but I have no idea what they do there. And a muggle connection office. There's people there trying to figure out what various Muggle inventions are for, and solving problems when a Muggle has figured out the secret of wizardry and all of that sort of thing. You see - a lot of opportunities for a young and talented witch" he concluded.
Hazel was a little lost with all the possibilities he told her. She made a thoughtful sound and finished her tea, nibbling on a cookie. "I have a lot of questions," she said then. Ominis laughed. "I thought you might. A lot of things must seem like Gobbledegook to you. Oh, that's a language the goblins speak" he explained, when it occurred to him that maybe she didn't know that.
Hazel laughed. "In the Muggles, when you want to use an idiom, you say, >That's Greek to me<" she then explained. Ominis nodded, that seemed logical to him. Well, at least in all countries except Greece. They finished the cookies, paid - Hazel insisted on picking up the bill - and wandered around Hogsmeade a bit.
"What's an auror?" she then asked as she hooked her injured arm under him and they walked along one of the gravel paths around Hogsmeade. "Aurors are specialized law enforcement officers. They're the ones who hunt down and arrest Black Wizards. They're kind of like a secret service. The strongest and best when it comes to security things." Ominis explained.
Hazel laughed. "Sounds like I'm well on my way to becoming one of those without the Ministry having a hand in it" she laughed. Ominis smiled somewhat joylessly. "There are freelancers, too. But they are more like mercenaries or bounty hunters" he replied. Hazel nodded and became silent for a moment as she thought.
"And what is an animagus?" Ominis grinned at her curiosity. "Animagi are wizards and witches who can transform into animals. It's a terribly time-consuming and difficult process I've been told. You have to somehow keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for over a month without swallowing it and make a potion out of it under certain conditions and a lot more complicated stuff" Ominis replied.
"Okay, this may be complicated, but I'm sure it's pretty exciting" Hazel said with a grin. "Don't get any ideas. That could go horribly wrong and then you'll be forever half-animal" Ominis admonished, recognizing her tone. He also found the story with the Animagi very interesting. But nothing more.
" Yeah, it's fine, my blind serpent. I'm just amazed that such a thing exists. Hmm, let's see, what else can I ask you?" she pondered as Ominis led her to the honeydukes. "Knowing you, I suspect you're more interested in things about magical creatures or plants than paperwork and laws" Ominis said as they walked through the colorful store overflowing with sweets. The store offered samples of the things it sold and Hazel curiously tried one of >Bertie Botts beans of each flavor< and screwed up her face. "Ugh! Onions!" she shook herself and Ominis laughed softly. "Disgusting. Yeah, that really sounds the most interesting" she then muttered.
"The department monitors populations of various creatures. Unicorns, dragons, Puffskiens, but also goblins, house elves and centaurs. Every werewolf and animagus must register there. They research dragons and take care of the taming of various animal beings and also the various diseases. It takes care of the protection of endangered species, takes care of the distribution of house elves and the communication with the creatures that are intelligent and can speak. Don't worry, I don't think that animal creatures are stupid. They supervise the licenses of wildlife keepers, breeders, researchers and animal shopkeepers," he said.
"Ah, I see. So I could get a certificate that proves I'm qualified to care for, keep, distribute, catch, or breed magical creatures? Hmm" she replied, "I'll talk to Eleazar about it and maybe Professor Weasley too" she said and happily hopped over to the chocolate frogs. Ominis had to laugh when he heard the hopping footsteps.
Ominis was incredibly cryptic when he finally led them to the Floo Flame in Hogsmeade Square. "Thank goodness for enchanted bags. Can't imagine lugging all that!" she muttered softly when she couldn't get a word out of Ominis about where they were going next.
"So, now you just say >Upper Hogsfield<" Ominis told her, took some of the powder, said "Upper Hogsfield" and was gone. Hazel sighed theatrically and did the same.
Hazel hated the feeling of traveling with floo powder. She understood that it could shorten things considerably, but it made her dizzy and nauseous every time. When Hazel landed, Ominis immediately supported her. He knew she still had her problems traveling like this. Even in the castle, she preferred to take the stairs constantly.
"Deep breaths, it'll be over in a minute" he said to her lovingly. Hazel took a few deep breaths and straightened up as the world stopped spinning. When she could think clearly again, she looked around and saw a tiny village just as pretty as its counterpart - Lower Hogsfield.
"Pretty place here. Although I like Lower Hogsfield a little better. Not quite so rugged" Hazel murmured softly and Ominis laughed. "Come on" he said and put her hand on his arm. "We have a little walk ahead of us before we return to Hogwarts with the next Floo Flame, where I want to show you something else" he said cryptically.
"Ominis! Don't be so cryptic. You're mysterious and secretive as it is!" Hazel whined playfully. She was incredibly excited to see what he was going to show her. "Well, well. Mysterious and secretive huh?" he laughed in surprise. "Well, as you know, I don't get out all that often, but I did get some tips on places worth seeing. I just hope I got the directions right" he mumbled the rest. "We'll definitely have to watch out a bit for wolves and spiders and Dugbogs, but if we stick to the path we shouldn't run into them" he explained.
Hazel had given up on asking him or otherwise getting an answer out of him. The surroundings slowly became gloomier, boggier. The air became damp and foggy. "What are we doing in a swamp Ominis, what are you up to?" hazel muttered. It made her terribly nervous that she could barely see 5 meters away in some places. Ominis had also sharpened his ears and was very glad that the fog only blurred his magical vision a bit, but did not block it. Again and again he corrected their path a bit, so that they did not run into any of the previously mentioned creatures, when Hazel suddenly held her breath.
Hazel's breath caught as she heard the beating of wings in the distance and saw the black silhouettes. Her first reaction was fear. Ominis noticed Hazel pressing herself against him. Well, her first experience with flapping wings, had been a rabid dragon.
He patted her hand gently. Hazel slowly realized that the sound was too soft and faint to come from a dragon, and that they were much smaller in silhouette in the mist than a dragon could be, to her knowledge. They were still a bit far away to see them properly, though. "Calm down. They're not dangerous" he reassured her and quietly pulled her a little further towards the den.
The closer they got to the dead branches, the better Hazel saw them. "Those are the creatures that pulled our carriage," Hazel whispered excitedly. In the burrow, small and large of the leathery, skeletal horses, with their leathery wings, bustled about. She had forgotten their name, and wasn't even sure she had ever known it. Even though these creatures were certainly anything but beautiful, Hazel was thrilled. They had the bone structure of a horse - except for the wings. The dark, leathery skin stretched around the bones and here and there you could see the bones sticking out. Their eyes were white and appeared blind, their head had something dragon-like, with two horns.
"Thestrals" Ominis muttered. "Actually, I wish you couldn't see them. But since I know you can, I thought they would be interesting to you," he whispered. Hazel furrowed her brows. "Why... oh" she muttered as she suddenly remembered that the carriage seemed to be pulled by nothing before the dragon attack and that changed after Osric died. Ominis nodded. "Many fear them because they can only be seen by those who have seen death" he muttered somberly. Then he gently shook his head. "But you are so sweet with animals, I was sure you would love them," he added with a smile.
As she did with the moon calves back then, she felt the need to connect with them now. It was like a kind of infallible knowledge of what she had to do to gain their trust. Hazel surveyed the surroundings, taking in any information she could find.
"Carnivorous, shy of humans but aggressive when it comes to their fledglings. Peaceful, actually," she murmured intently. She observed how the thestrals interacted with each other. "Familiar," she added to her mental notes. Ominis shook her head. "Fascinating," she then murmured, and was back in the present. "I-I... would like to try the same thing I did with the moon calves, but I need meat or something else they like to eat for that" she said quietly to him. "Hmm, there might be mice or rats here, birds maybe" Ominis replied.
Without further ado, Hazel had decided that they would hunt for meat for the Thestrals. Thanks to the magic, however, this was an easy task. Hazel's heart ached a bit, but the two of them quickly put an end to the three rats and returned to the thestrals' lair. Ominis handed her the rat he had held and retreated into the shade of a nearby tree.
Hazel stood rooted to the spot for a moment, watching the thestrals intently before taking a deep breath and slowly and carefully making her way to them, one step at a time.
The first to spot her were the cubs. They neighed curiously and hopped happily in her direction before a large and black male stood snorting in front of her, staring at Hazel with his white eyes. Hazel stopped and didn't move for a few minutes, gazing just as fixedly into the animal's eyes. Then she smiled and threw one of the three rats at the thestral's hooves. Then Hazel knelt quietly in the damp grass, placed the rats in front of her, folded her hands and waited.
The thestral made a threatening gesture when she moved, reared up and neighed shrilly, striking her with its hooves, but not hurting her, and she did not back away, not even flinching. She just sat there and looked kindly at the animal.
Then a female also approached. She pushed the young ones backwards and stood by the male. She scuffled a bit with her hooves, neighed softly and then came closer. The two sniffed at the rat in front of their hooves, she bit off a piece, including fur, and chewed it slowly while the male continued to stare into her eyes.
Hazel now took one of the rats in her hands and offered it to the thestrals in a bent-over posture. Ominis thought to himself, even these animals must find this gesture respectful. Each of her movements was slow and deliberate.
Next, the male stepped in her direction, nostrils flared, sniffing. Hazel saw that it was considering whether to attack her or not. She knew it was possibly dangerous to sit there and look the animal in the eye so provocatively, but she felt it was a kind of eat or die. Either this worked, or nothing would work. And with the moon calves, she had simply trusted her instincts.
She listened carefully to how these thestrals communicated with each other. It was partly sounds, as well as horses from itself gave and partly hiss and snarl noises. Quietly Hazel imitated the sounds that the mother had made to the young animals when Hazel was not yet with them.
The heads of all the thestrals, including those who had landed behind Hazel in guarded position, shot up and stared at her. The male, in front of her, took another step. Then suddenly Hazel felt the hot snort of one of the animals on the back of her neck. She could just barely keep from wincing. Ominis could hear her heart racing and he began to worry. Again Hazel made those loving noises and stretched the rat even further forward, toward the alpha male, while the thestral behind her continued to sniff her.
As the thestral behind her relaxed and trotted lightly by, the female in front of her seemed to relax as well. Then the little ones came rushing up and knocked her over, onto her back, and climbed impetuously over her. Hazel made a soft, uncomfortable sound as she landed on the sensitive back. The rat landed in the mud next to her, but she didn't dare reach for the little ones or anything like that yet.
The parents of the little ones neighed shrilly when the little ones climbed so impetuously on Hazel and the female came indignantly closer and reared up. Hazel was momentarily afraid that she would attack her as she lay there. The little ones were frightened and ran behind the stallion, while the mare took a close look at Hazel and sniffed her from top to bottom, while she lay in the mud and breathed shallowly.
As the mare held her face close to Hazel's and stared into her eyes, Hazel slowly raised her uninjured hand and brought it in front of the mare's nose without touching it.
And then suddenly the tense atmosphere was gone, the mare neighed softly, put her nose to her hand, then stepped aside and dug her head into the mud at her shoulder to help her up. Hazel laughed softly and slowly stood up. The mare stood beside her and nudged her. "Hello my pretty. I didn't mean to scare you like that, I'm sorry" she said into the circle of thestrals that had formed around her as the mare helped her up. Now the little ones ran forward again, fighting over the rats at her feet.
Hazel allowed each thestral to sniff her, nudge her and make sure she wouldn't attack them, while Hazel laughed. When Ominis laughed softly in his lair, however, the Thestrals froze. Immediately, Hazel made reassuring noises again. "Don't worry. He's with me, my sweet ones!" she explained to the animals. Their heads turned back and forth, toward her and toward the tree where Ominis stood. Hazel carefully brought her hand to the mare's gnarled neck and placed it against her neck, waiting to see how the thestrals would react.
"Come out of your hiding place slowly, my love. As long as they know you're there, but you're hiding, they won't calm down. Just come 5 steps in our direction until they can see you" she called to him softly. He did as she said and waited, his eyes glowing dimly. Hazel was sure that the thestrals were no longer afraid of her, even though they might not yet trust her completely. She stepped out of the circle, but the alpha male pushed her back and stood in front of her just as he had done with his children.
Hazel made a surprised sound. Why... did this thestral PROTECT her? She didn't understand the world anymore. Just a moment ago, he had been aggressive towards her and now this? When she tried to step forward again, he pushed her back more aggressively, causing her to fall and injure her hand.
"Ow!" Hazel exclaimed as she then landed painfully on her back as well. "Hazel!" Ominis shouted, taking a step forward only to be pushed back by the alpha a moment later. "It's all right! Calm down, they're not hurting me on purpose. They don't know I'm physically weaker than they are!" she called to him as she groaned and stood up with the mare's help.
Hazel looked at her bandaged hand. A small and sharp branch had penetrated the bandage and her hand. The mare sniffed her hand and made the same sounds she made to her babies. "It's okay, sweetie. It's all right," she whispered to her.
Hazel then ignored her hand, walked this time determinedly to the alpha animal, gave angry sounds and put determinedly the healthy hand to his flank. "Calm down. He's my partner, just like she's yours. He is like me. He means no harm" she told him firmly. The thestral snorted and glared at Ominis. "I don't know why they suddenly react like that. One minute he was aggressive towards me, the next he's protecting me" she said aloud, shaking her head in perplexity.
"are you hurt?" ominis asked her anxiously. He had noticed the smell of blood in a breeze, but couldn't tell if it came from the gnawed rats or from Hazel. "Nothing serious. Don't worry. So big boy, let me pass. It's all good" she then turned to the big thestral. He snorted but pulled away and Hazel went to Ominis and sighed with relief as he embraced her.
The thestrals neighed in fright when he did so, and Hazel began again to copy the loving sounds with which the thestrals had communicated with each other. They quieted down and watched them. Hazel laughed sheepishly as she leaned against Ominis, looking for support. "Thestrals are more exhausting than I thought" she laughed. "But I'm glad we're here" she added as Ominis had a guilty look on his face. Then Ominis frowned.
"Where are you hurt?" he asked. Hazel downplayed it; after all, it was only a small branch that had dug into her palm under the bandage. "Now don't get upset, will you? Here, a branch was sharp enough to pierce through the bandage into my hand. It hurts a little, but it's not sticking deep" she said, holding out the bandaged hand to him.
When he grabbed it, Hazel winced slightly. The hand was still extremely sensitive, even through the bandage. "Pass me a handkerchief and a healing potion from the bag, please. Luckily, I remembered to refill it tonight. There should still be a bandage in there somewhere, I think" he merely said, holding out his other hand. Hazel laughed. Ominis was so organized and careful to make sure she always had everything she needed.
She had to dig through all the bags and potions in the enchanted bag, but eventually found all three. "Remind me to ask Noreen for more bandages. I can already tell we're always going to need some" he muttered as he pulled out the small branch with a jerk. Hazel made a sound of pain as he did so and the Thestrals grew restless.
While Ominis unwrapped her hand, Hazel soothed the thestrals with words. When her hand was free, he examined the stitch and sighed with relief. It was bleeding a little, but was really not deep. He dripped some of the healing potion onto the cloth and carefully cleaned the wound. Hazel had to grit her teeth. Her hand no longer had any blisters or white spots, but it was still bright red and painful, and a little hot. He handed Hazel the almost untouched potion, he had only needed a little to clean it, and told her to drink it.
"They really do taste disgusting" Hazel muttered wanly as she got it over with and they watched the wound disappear. He carefully bandaged her hand again and placed a kiss on her exposed fingers, smiling lovingly at her. Hazel pulled her bandaged hand away and handed him her healthy one. "Come on. They're already all nervous!" she said with a smile, slowly pulling him toward the thestrals.
They sat with the thestrals for a while longer, having chosen a relatively dry spot where the sun broke through the fog a bit, and played with the foals while the others either went away or lay down near them. With the dense fog around them, they felt almost cut off from the real world, in their own little bubble of sunlight. It was peaceful and Ominis was pleased to see Hazel smiling or laughing all the time. Ominis also felt free and content, in this clearing with the thestrals. He had to thank his animal-loving Hufflepuff classmate who had given him the tip and directions to the nest, he mentally noted.
As the sun sank lower and lower, he noticed that Hazel was freezing. "You're shivering," he murmured when she leaned against him after a while. They had forgotten that her clothes were still damp from the mud she had been pushed into. Ominis drew his wand and sighed a little in relief as his seeing magic transferred back to it. For hours he had kept it up, with only a few interruptions, to see each smile.
In the blink of an eye, Hazel was dry and clean again. "Thank you, my blind serpent," she said, pulling her robe tighter around her. The damp air, the mist and the disappearance of the sun's rays behind the treetops, created a dank atmosphere the later it got. Even though Hazel wanted to do anything but leave, she had to admit that it was probably time, at the latest when her stomach actually started to growl for once.
Ominis laughed softly as she winced at the sound of her stomach making itself known, and one of the Thestrals, who had obviously returned from a successful little hunt, offered them a rabbit, which he carried to them and placed on the ground in front of them. Hazel laughed softly and, understandably for the Thestrals, declined the offer. "We eat a little differently than you do, my dears" she laughed softly and patted the thestral on the head. "But I think we should be on our way. You said you wanted to show me something and I'm really getting hungry" she then said to Ominis when the thestral had brought the rabbit to the foals.
When Ominis and Hazel got up, the foals squealed sadly and ran to them. The food was forgotten. They romped and hopped around the two of them. Ominis laughed and patted one's little neck. "My dear ones, we can't stay. But we'll come visit you someday. Promise!" she said to them. The foals lined up in front of her and looked at her with big white eyes. "Goodbye, sweet ones. Always be good and listen to your family!" Hazel said goodbye to the foals. The adults also came closer now to say goodbye and didn't let her go until each of them had been petted.
When they were already heading back towards Upper Hogsfield, she hugged him effusively so that he almost lost his balance. Laughing, he returned the hug, holding her close and stroking her hair. "What did I do to deserve this, my little snake?" he asked, laughing.
"For doing so much for me. You've made today the best day I've ever had. Thank you!" she said in a tear-stained voice, sniffling softly against his chest. "Oh, darling," he replied in surprise when he heard that and gently hugged her closer. "I-I felt so lost at Hogwarts all the time. I...was always tense, afraid of what was going to happen next because so much had already happened. But today I just got to be myself. I feel so calm and free that I don't know what to do with it," she laughed softly at the end. "I now know for sure what I like to do besides reading," she said. Now Ominis laughed. "Let me guess: Your new old hobby is animal creatures? Find them, befriend them, care for them?" he laughed softly. She nodded. Ominis took it upon himself to introduce her to Hufflepuff Poppy Sweeting as soon as they had their Care of Magical Creatures class.
When they had traveled to the gate of Hogwarts with Floo Powder, Hazel had to brace herself against Ominis, exhausted and a little dizzy. "Woah," she exclaimed wanly as she landed and stumbled into his arms. "I'll never get used to this" she muttered once she was safely in his arms, but Ominis would never get tired of catching her and holding her against him. He chuckled softly into her hair. "I don't mind catching you every time, you know?" he murmured. Now she was giggling.
"Okay, what else do you want to show me?" she asked as she finally separated from him. He smiled in her direction, took her hand, and pulled her along the path they usually took to the moon calves. "Aside from the moon calves, we have another burrow of animal beings near here and I want to show it to you" he said cheerfully. Ominis was glad that the burrow was not so far away. He felt that Hazel was getting tired and didn't want to push her limit too much after yesterday's close call.
"So, now over this little bridge here and you should be able to see them fly" he said as he led her across an old, somewhat dilapidated, bridge that crossed a small river. Hazel heard birds chirping in the distance, but where they were, it was very quiet. But when Hazel listened more closely, she heard soft flapping of wings. When Ominis told her that she should see them flying, she looked up and was amazed. There were beautiful birds flying. Their feathers were blue or green with white bellies, one of them was gray and their tail feathers were magnificent and long and showed even more colors, like black and yellow in a color gradient with their normal feather color. What Hazel wondered about was that they were silent.
"What are those birds?" she asked him as he led her closer to the tree that served as their nesting site. "They're called jobberknolls. They are silent until the moment they die. Only then do you hear anything from them. Fortunately, I haven't had to hear one yet, as far as I know," he explained.
Hazel looked at the beautiful tree where they were nesting. The nests hung down from the branches. It almost seemed like a small tree city of their own. The Joberknoll kept their distance for a while, so the two sat down in a place where they could enjoy the last rays of the sun. Ominis sat leaning against a small tree, Hazel with her back against him, her eyes fixed on these wondrous birds.
"I already know what Sebastian and I will do with you after you learn to fly" Ominis said to her with a grin as he gently ran his hand through her hair. Hazel sighed comfortably before answering. "What?" "Oh, I'm afraid I have rather little to contribute there, but he's guaranteed to teach you Quidditch. When his sister was still able to go to school, the two of them were part of the Quidditch team. The sport is a bit dangerous, but almost everyone seems to enjoy it" he explained. "Now I've heard about Quidditch so many times and I still have no idea what it actually is" she laughed in response. "Oh, don't worry, you'll learn quickly" Ominis laughed back gently.
"I wish Professor Black hadn't banned the tournaments. Even though I could see very little at the time, it was somehow exciting to listen to. The whir of brooms whizzing through the air and the sound of balls being passed to each other, the murmur of people. An excited atmosphere, I tell you. And now that I can see much better with my magic, it would definitely be really exciting" he told. "Oh, so it's a flying ball sport then? The muggles have soccer. They're all excited about that, too. 22 people chasing a single ball and trying to kick it into the opponent's goal" she muttered. Ominis laughed. "Well, Quidditch is kind of similar. A team has 7 permanent players and up to 7 substitutes. So 14 on the field. And instead of one ball, there are basically 4. One that has to be thrown through goals, one that flies around and is very hard to catch, but has to be caught to finish the game, and two that are chased by the beaters as a distraction on the players" he explained quietly, putting his arm around her shoulders. "That actually sounds more exciting than soccer" Hazel laughed.
They talked for a while about sports and things she could try to find a hobby for herself, as the birds gradually approached curiously. One landed and hopped curiously closer and closer. "Hello, my little friend," Hazel said affectionately to the bird. First it hopped a hop backwards before waddling closer again as she slowly held out a hand. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to get to know you" she purred. The light blue jobberknoll turned his head jerkily from left to right, chattering softly with his beak. It almost looked like he was trying to talk, which of course he wasn't. As Ominis said, they were silent.
The jobberknoll approached her hand slowly. He pinched her index finger and flinched when she flinched. "Careful, little one. Your beak can hurt!" she said softly and reached out again. And suddenly the bird was perched on her arm, staring intently at them both. Hazel laughed in surprise and Ominis let his eyes shine again to see what was happening in front of him. Ominis let out a surprised laugh. "You're amazing, Hazel. How do you do that?" he marveled. "I wish I knew," she laughed.
Hazel had decided to call her new jobberknoll friend >Neptune<. He was the only one who approached them that day, but Hazel was happy anyway. As they walked, Neptune sat on her shoulder for a while and accompanied them for a bit as they walked towards Hogwarts. When the colorful arena that was part of the school grounds came into view, Neptune left them and flew back.
"That back there, by the way, is the school's own Quidditch field," he explained to Hazel, and pointed to it. "Uh, that looks huge! And so colorful! All the house colors are represented!" she laughed, "Of course! After all, each house has its own team. I hope next year this will all take place again. So now we should hurry so your stomach will stop growling at me like a rabid wolf!" Ominis laughed at her.
Hazel and Ominis started running when it suddenly started raining just before the entrance to the castle. Laughing, they ran into the entrance hall and made their way to the Great Hall, where almost all the students were already eating. Sebastian sat a little apart by himself, engrossed in a book again as he ate. Hazel sighed when she saw this.
"Maybe you should do something with Sebastian these days. I feel like I've stolen his best friend. He's alone so often because of me" she said to him quietly as she stopped a bit away from the table. "Don't worry about it, darling. He has periods like this all the time where he shuts himself off and looks in the books for clues to a cure for Anne. It's good that we take him to Hogsmeade so often to the Three Broomsticks and study with him. But he will never give up looking for a cure for his sister. Maybe it would help him if we practiced dueling together more often and he got some more exercise teaching you Quidditch," Ominis thought and pulled her further to Sebastian at the table.
"Hey Seb," Hazel greeted him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to Ominis. Sebastian jumped up in surprise and smiled when he saw the two of them. " Hey there, lovebirds? Enjoying your well-deserved day?" he asked with a wry grin. He noticed how relaxed Hazel seemed and Ominis grinned with satisfaction. "Oh, you wouldn't believe what a nice day I had! We went to Hogsmeade and..." she told him enthusiastically about her day as she filled her plate.
"...I named him Neptune because his feather color reminded me of the picture of the planets in my old school book. He even accompanied us for a while as we made our way back" Hazel finished as they sat in the common room in front of the fireplace and she enjoyed the cozy warmth. Sebastian laughed and slapped Ominis on the shoulder in their midst. "You really did a great job bringing out all the stops for your girl, respect!" he exclaimed with a laugh. When he said >your girl<, she blushed and buried her face against Ominis' arm. Ominis made a questioning sound when he noticed that. "I'm red, let me." she mumbled sheepishly and he laughed.
After the three of them had gorged themselves on the last bottles of butterbeer, all three wandered toward bed. "Sleep tight Seb!" Hazel called cheerfully, waving after him as she and Ominis headed to her room. Once they were both in bed, she snuggled up close to him. "You know, I kind of liked it when he called me >your girl<" she murmured against his chest. His chest quivered slightly as he laughed. "I don't own you. But I like the idea" he murmured lovingly.