In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume I: XX

Professor Sharp finished his notes from our future testimonies, and he excused himself to his office to get back to work. Anne's eyes kept darting toward Ominis after every word she said. It was like she was attempting to get a response out of him.

The potions in the room bubbled loudly, and the windows were illuminated by the moon. I thought of Sebastian in that moment. I hoped he was still alive, or at least still had a will to live. I looked around at the classroom. The chairs appeared lonely without students accompanying them.

I turned to Ominis. A faint line rested above his brows. His pale skin almost had a sheen of blue from the moonlight. I made my way over to him. I stood behind him and lovingly wrapped my arms around his chest. I pressed my face into his hair. Small tinges of lavender filled my senses. I looked up, and my eyes met Anne's. I held them there as I kissed Ominis' neck. His skin was smooth and warm against my lips. Anne's face turned red.

I brought my head up slightly to whisper in Ominis' ear, "Meet me at the place where we first kissed." I gave him one last squeeze and headed to the Undercroft.

The stone floor echoed beneath my feet. I had hoped Ominis understood me. I did not want or need Anne following us. I walked swiftly to the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower. I skipped up a few flights of stairs and turned the corner. The arched door ticked and howled as my wand undid the lock.

I opened the door slightly to see Ominis facing the mural. His hand traced the painting slowly, occasionally stopping as if he were deep in thought.

I took a silent breath in to prepare myself. Images of Ominis and Anne together plagued my mind. I angrily approached him. As soon as I was meters from him, he turned to face me. The duskiness in his eyes contorted into tears each time he blinked.

The words escaped him quickly, "I could not tell you immediately when it happened for fear of retaliation, but Anne kissed me. And—" Ominis was frantic. He reached for the sides of his temples as he paced back and forth.

"I know. I saw you two together." I said softly. My hand rested upon the nape of my neck. I rubbed it gently to soothe myself and asked, "Did you kiss her in return?" I chewed the inside of my cheek to avoid the formation of tears.

Ominis raised his wand to the side of his face. A iridescent blue string began forming between his forehead and his wand. His head tilted back slightly as if he were in pain. The end of the piece of magic dropped from his skin, and he let it drip inside the pensieve from the tip of his wand.

He smiled at me. "This way I can rid the horrid moment from my memory, and you can bear witness to what I have experienced."

I hesitated before I approached the pensieve. I held my breath as I dunked my head under the enchanted water. Swirls of magic engulfed me.

I had never come across a memory such as this. The room did not have a ceiling or floor. I felt lightweight. Ominis' mind must be relatively dark and empty since he cannot see.

I felt my head nodding up and down in the direction of my own voice. My conscience entered his. I felt my vocal cords moving as Ominis said, "Go. You're fine. We will figure this out. Either one of us will be dead, or we will make peace."

I could feel his breathing get heavier as my chest moved up and down at a rapid rate. I felt my arm wrap around myself, and then I pressed my lips to my own hair.

Ominis' point-of-view was reliable, but the ability to hear and feel at this caliber was bizarre. I could sense his voice escaping my throat, "I long for you. I love you."

His hands pulsed and the warmth rose to his face as he turned in Anne's direction. His wand pulled us toward bodies of heat. And her aura felt as if she were on fire.

Anne's wand brushed quietly against her robe as she drew it to duel. Her hand flapped silently against itself as she waved toward my actual self leaving the common room. The small tapping of my own feet up the stairs was quite distracting. 

Anne inhaled loudly as she let out a small laugh. "It's just like old times, Omi. When Sebastian is back from Azkaban, we'll be thick as thieves together once again."

I could feel Ominis' rolling his eyes as he said, "I am ready. I will wait. Ladies first, Anne." I noticed he gripped his wand tighter.

Anne initiated her first cast. I could feel her lunge forward against the stone, and Ominis' body dodged her attack.

Ominis felt for her direction with his wand and loudly claimed, "Glacius! Diffindo!" You could hear Anne grabbing at her waist in pain. Small whimpers escaped her. I could discern that, in Ominis' mind, he was hesitant. He was worried about impairing her once more and decided to go easy on her.

Anne struck with a vengeance, "Expelliarmus!" Now there was not a way to decipher where she was in the room.

The wand was rolling toward one of the fireplaces, and Ominis made his way over to it at rapid speed. It was impressive as he maneuvered his way while avoiding Anne's casts.

Anne cried, "Incendio!" I could feel Ominis used his protego spell. A small film encapsulated him; no pain entered his body.

He dropped his shield and threw a few basic casts to gauge where she was in the room. Anne raised her wand and yelled, "Stupefy." Ominis' muscles contracted but did not move.

I could hear Anne's presence getting closer as she started to giggle. She pushed Ominis onto the ground and straddled her legs against him.

She laughed even louder now as her voice grew, "I've done it. I've won." The warmth radiating from her face became more potent as she leaned against Ominis. Her hand felt clammy against his smooth face. Her lips pressed against his softly, and she parted her lips to continue as he moved his head to the side.

I could hear my own silent footsteps receding back upstairs. It felt as if a knife drove into Ominis' stomach. He pleaded, "Anne. Please, move off of me. You may have had the idea that things would go back to the way they used to be, but I do not love you as I once did." I could feel his brows pressing together.

He cleared his throat. "I love her, Anne," he said quietly. Ominis turned his head to face directly toward Anne. "I love her. It has been and will forever be her. She is the blood in my veins and the light in my eyes. I will not continue this life without her." Ominis' mind flooded with feeling. It was as if he were touching my skin. He was remembering me in that moment.

Ominis shut his eyes and thought about the fact that I was aware of the kiss and had fled the scene, "You have disgraced me, Anne."

Footsteps approached the stairs, and Ominis stood up gracefully to greet me. A smile danced on his face as he heard my voice. His mind registered it as music to his ears.

My body felt as if it shrunk in half, and I pulled myself backward to exit the memory.

Ominis was holding my hand on the ceramic basin. His thumb rubbed against me as he brushed his other hand against my hair. His face met my cheek. His lips scrunched against my skin, and as he pulled away he warned, "That was what I wanted you to experience. My memories are quite complicated. There is a more pressing detail, unfortunately. I believe it would be easier to explain it in words."

Ominis gestured for me to sit down. I patiently waited and braced myself for the news.