To Love a Serpent - Ominis Gaunt

Scriptorium

After spending what felt like hours in the maze of passages to help Sebastian's curiosity about Salazar Slytherin Scriptorium, we stumble upon a locked door. As I approach the door, we all heard a blood-curdling scream. I kneel down and find a note next to a pile of bones.

"Ominis....your aunt Noctua. She died here because she wasn't able to go forward. She couldn't cast Crucio." I said, sighing in disbelief. I heard him pace back and forth panicking. "Dammit, I KNEW we shouldn't have come here. We wouldn't be trapped here, to begin with." He exclaimed with frustration.

Sebastian glanced at me and then at Ominis. "Well, I'm not going to die in here so unless we do what needs to be done, we will be stuck." Ominis turns his head sharply. "You can't ask this of me, Sebastian. The Crucio curse changes you. It corrupts you. I can't." This causes Sebastian to groan, kicking the walls.

I look at my dusty hands and feel the painful bites from the enchanted stone snakes that had bitten my arms before. I pull out my wand. "I can do it." I blurt out. Both of them had their eyes widened as they noticed my arms were shaking. I inhaled sharply. "Sebastian, will you allow me to cast it on you?" He looked over at Ominis and then back at me. He nodded.

I lick my dry lips, feeling the sweat dripping from my head before raising my wand saying, "Crucio!" A powerful blast of blood-red lightning escapes the tip of my wand and engulfs Sebastian. As I hear his groans and shouts of pain ring in my ear, I feel something from the inside of me snap. The door then opens as the Crucio curse unlocks it, revealing a large room covered in Salazar Slytherin's things. His books, a desk, a book, and even a letter.

The whole time I followed them both into the Scriptorium, my head felt uneasy. Something about the room made me feel as if I was being suffocated by dark magic. Whatever it was, it was overpowering my Ancient magic.

"You two go on ahead, I'll stay behind a bit," Ominis stated while he stood against the wall. He looked anxious as if he could feel whatever force I was feeling.

After Sebastian and I found the book of Salazar Slytherin, I began to explore more of the room. "Hmm. Seems he left here in a rush." I stated, looking around. "He was the first one to leave Hogwarts after the others didn't agree with his ideologies of Pure Blood versus Muggles," Ominis commented, shifting his stance, and crossing his arms.

As I was about to look around more, I instantly felt faint. Grabbing my head, I stumbled back down the short stairs. I feel like the room is spinning. "Guys, I don't feel so good..." I said before falling to my knees. My breathing became shallowed and dry. The darkness was surely invading me, piece by piece. Ominis then slowly came over in my direction where he heard my distress and slowly helped me stand up. "Sebastian I think we should leave this place. It feels uneasy." He then groans.

"Fine. I owe you both that much especially for helping me get here. I'll find us a way out." Just as he said that a secret passage door in front of him twisted open. Ominis was holding me up with a soft grip while guiding me into the door. As we all cramped together, the door twisted us into a narrow passage that led to another door out into the Slytherin common room entrance.

As we walked out, the door shut behind us and I could finally breathe. I felt the darkness leave my body slowly regaining my strength. "Ominis..." I said before feeling my knees buckle again. Sebastian then assisted Ominis in guiding me toward a bench to where I could sit and lean against.

"Aurora...you don't look so good." I heard Sebastian comment. I laugh and scoff, leaning my head against the wall. "Yeah well, you try getting attacked by enchanted stone snakes with no breakfast." He then laughed a little. Ominis was not amused as he put his hand on my forehead. I could see his eyes were moving in concern.

"We swear, right now, here to NEVER use curses or any dark magic. EVER." He spat out loud to us. I nodded but looking at Sebastian, he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Ominis. I'm sorry I made you both go through that but thank you for helping me. I'm going to go do homework, I'll see you two later." He said before walking away with the book under his arm.

"Aurora you're burning hot. Are you sure you are alright?" He asks out of concern. I looked down, my eyes felt heavy. I shouldn't have skipped breakfast this time. "Perhaps some time out of the castle will help? I don't know about you but I could go for a butterbeer." He glanced at me and slowly his concerned grimace became a slight smile, nodding.

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We ended up drinking more than a few butterbeers and Ominis even encouraged me to at least eat. He had Sirona make her Yorkshire puddings for me. "How are you feeling?" He asked me. I yawned slightly, shaking my head. "Mmm, a little better. I'm so sorry for my strange behavior. I don't know what happened to me but...I felt not myself."

He glances over, his silvery eyes softened with concern. "I'm sorry. I told Sebastian it was a cursed place and that I never wanted anything to do with it. But then he dragged you along and I just couldn't stand by idly." He said before drinking his butterbeer.

"Thank you Ominis, really. Most these days I forget that even I need to take care of myself." I said, my hand engulfing his on the table. He nods.

"So Ominis, I never actually asked this but what is your family like?" I asked, making conversation to pass the time while we both enjoy the afternoon. He then slightly squeezed my hand and I could tell he was uncomfortable. His eyes were shifty. "I have many older siblings. I'm the youngest of them all. My wand is a hand-me-down from my three sisters since my parents didn't believe in bothering to go to Ollivanders." He states. I nodded in affirmation. 

"Other than that, my lack of ability to see is unfortunately why I endured far more traumatic experiences than my own siblings. I was tortured into casting Crucio on random muggles near our home. I've never felt the same since." He sighs, rubbing his hands in his face. His hair starts to become looser. 

"Hmm, that's awful. I'm so sorry. I can never imagine why parents make their children feel unsafe. I may have been raised as an orphan but I never once felt unloved by the other children and the ladies taking care of me. I even took care of some of them." I responded while moving my mug of butterbeer around. Ominis then placed his hands under his chin as he listened.

"I agree but I feel as if despite all these bad things, I have no lost love for my family. They are my family, I can never deny that. However, I worry about my adult life after Hogwarts." I glance over before my eyes moved to the dimly lit fireplace near us. 

"I haven't the faintest idea of what will happen to me once I finish Hogwarts either. Perhaps get married, that sort of thing. I don't exactly have a choice with no family, I'm practically on my own." I say messing with my own hands. "Why are you worried?" I indulge my curiosity. 

"My family, as well as other Pure Blood families have arranged marriages to keep everything Pure. It's rather disturbing. My own sisters are marrying distant relatives. I personally don't want that for myself but I'm a Gaunt." He responds with a bit of sadness. He seems defeated. He has a point though, it is the 19th century, and arranged marriages are still a thing? I wouldn't be too pleased about it either. What happened to marry for love rather than pride? I hope whoever I marry treats me with a shred of decency and not as some pet.

"Well, whatever our future holds, let us hope we are still friends. If your family ever becomes too much, you can come to live me with." I say to dull the silence, nudging Ominis on his shoulder. He gives me a brief smile and nods.

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Honestly, this quest was very interesting to play through. I wish we had more sidequests with different characters and such. I decided to add my own little twist to this chapter to give some legroom for Ominis to become close to Aurora. Hopefully, I'm doing good. I don't know, again writing what I want to get out there.

- Savthebun09