Ancient Magic and Parseltongue

Chapter 6, Losing You

   Godric was waiting for the four of you as you walked into his office. Helga and Rowena weren't there, but you got the feeling that he would inform them later. 
"Please sit down," he said as two more chairs appeared in front of his desk. 
"If you're busy, we can come back later," you replied, already trying to make a break for the door. 
He chuckled as he looked up. "I'm not busy, please sit." 
Sebastian smirked as you huffed softly and made your way over to one of the chairs. Godric's brow raised when you half fell into it, but his eyes moved to Ominis when he sat beside you, then to the twins who took the last two spots. 
"Alright then, did you find what you were looking for?" Godric asked, smirking when you shifted. 
"Not really." 
Realizing you weren't going to elaborate, he looked to Ominis. "Alright, let's start the ball rolling with you. You're a parseltongue like Salazar, but that's about the extent that I know about you."
"Speaking to snakes runs in my family. The Gaunts. We're descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Most of my family dabble in dark arts or go dark completely. Nothing I'm especially proud of, mind you. They taught me Crucio when I was a child. Their sport was using it on muggles and they used it on me when I refused. When I was asked again, I used it. The result was-" he sighed, glancing over towards you, knowing you were glaring at the desk before you. "catastrophic for them."  
"Why did you look at her?" 
You sighed, wanting this to be over as quickly as possible. "I'm a pureblood, but my magic didn't show strong enough to be recognized by the school. My father, being a dark wizard and pureblood crazed, dumped me into the muggle world where I was brought in by two muggles. We came across the Gaunt family one night and... my muggle father died that night. I went to Hogwarts at fifteen, where I met Ominis again." 
"That explains why you're not jumping on the trust wagon," Godric tried teasing. "So, a pureblood muggle? I didn't see that coming." 
Rolling your eyes, you pressed on. "Dealing with the fact that I could see magic no one else could, being attacked by a dragon on the way in, being dropped in the middle of a war, being new to school, having five years worth of schoolwork to catch up on, helping Fig solve his wife's desire to find the secret to ancient magic and figuring out the Gaunts were the ones who tortured my family and I, I really didn't need them to come back into my life with my actual parents." 
Godric blinked and looked to Sebastian who nodded as Ominis tensed. "On top of helping me try finding a cure for Anne and my uncle trying to murder us and me killing him instead." 
Godric waved his hand sharply. "This was all going on before you were brought here?" 
"No, we managed to take care of it all before the end of the fifth year," Ominis answered, his hand gently resting on your wrist, hidden by Godric's desk. "One of the repositories is a keeper, one who could wield ancient magic as well, broke and began to eat away at a town not far from here. She went to contain it and instead it send us here."
"Not knowing who you could trust, if anyone. I see," Godric whispered, sitting back in his chair. "This makes this complicated." 
"Salazar kept a book that says there is some kind of cavern under the school with a locked door he's been trying to get into. Even stealing powers to break it open. I believe it's where he learned about ancient magic. I would like to go and find it." 
"You want me to keep him distracted again?" 
"We need an excuse to disappear long enough without people asking questions. Something believable," you admitted, carefully watching his expression turned to concentration.  
"I'm sure I can figure something out, but Salazar isn't easily fooled, nor is he able to wait. He wants you to be his apprentice, he will do whatever he can to force you into the role, even if it means he breaks you and your friends first."
"We're a lot stronger than you think and way too stubborn to give up," Sebastian replied, glaring at Godric.
"I certainly hope so."
"Salazar mentioned, in the book, that ancient magic gets stronger with age. Does that mean-"
Godric drummed his fingers on his desk. "Not necessarily. Older your magic may be, you've only had it for sixteen years, a year using it yourself. You could be as vulnerable as Miss Apollo. You mustn't put all your hopes into one possibility."
"Then what do you suggest?" Anne asked twisting in her seat sharply. "Open war in the halls?"
"Not if I can help it. The four of us aren't strong enough to duel him, but you" -he pointed directly to you- "you might be able to at least drive him from the school."
"You plan to pit them against each other?" Ominis's voice raised an octave, drawing everyone's gaze. "A founder against a student?"
"Ideally, I wouldn't want to do this to anyone, but Salazar sees something in you. Something that frightens him, otherwise he'd treat you the same as any other student. I have no other choice but to put the school and it's inhabitants in your hands."
Fear streaked across your face as you stared into eyes that breached the depths of sadness you couldn't describe.

    "What the heck is wrong with him? Pitting a student against a professor?" Ominis hissed, his hair already half strung about after frustratingly running his hands over it.
"We knew it had to be something like this," Sebastian replied, getting a glare.
"We never told him that you took on Rookwood or a small army of ashwinders and he already practically signed you up for this fight."
"Salazar does leave the school and vanish under mysterious circumstances, maybe he's supposed to go toe to toe with-"
"No, that's just assuming we came here for a reason!" Ominis hissed, getting them to sigh.
Anne looked to you, motioning towards Ominis in desperation.
You nodded and stood, seeing them leave the room.
"This is insane," he whispered before you stepped into his path, wrapping your arms around him when he walked into you.
"It's okay."
His arms wrapped around you, holding on as if you were about to fade out of existence.
"It's not," he whispered, his grip tightening. "Look, I don't care what time we're in. We can just leave."
He tensed when you pulled back enough to look at him. "Ominis?"
"This isn't fair to ask, I know, but- why is it always you being thrown into danger?"
He was blushing deeply, but the worry written on his features outweighed it.
"It's just the way it is," you said, though even you were tired of there always being another crisis that needed your help.
"Lying to yourself now?"
You couldn't help but smile at his old bone of contention.
"Well, I did promise not to lie to you, so lying to myself is the next best thing."
The odd comment cracked through his worry and he laughed. "Don't do that. Be honest with yourself, otherwise you'd end up in worse pain than before. Lie to Sebastian."
Knowing he was joking, you chuckled as he ran his fingers over the skin in your face. "I'll consider it."
"How are you feeling? It can't be easy for everything to rest on your shoulders."
You shrugged. "It's not really any different from going up against Rookwood."
He hummed in thought, his features smoothing out. "What if he uses those curses on you?"
"Better me than you, Sebastian or Anne."
You watched as something broke in him, his face quickly crumbling, so you pulled him back into a hug.
"I doubt it's going to go that far."
His fingers half clawed at your back.
You looked around, before gently pulling his face up, wiping away the stray tears.
"We don't have to leave until tomorrow," you pulled him towards the bed. "Come on, it's been a long day already."
He half collapsed onto the blankets, the strain of how things are going coupled with how terrible Salazar was, reaching near crushing limits as you sat down on the other side of the bed.
He grabbed your hand, tugging on it as if asking for you to lay down with him. So, you slid down beside him, feeling him shift close.
"I'm sorry Ominis," you whispered as you listened to him trying to hush his emotions. "I really wish you were safe in the future still."
His reply came in the form of pulling you tightly to him.
"You're going to be okay," you encouraged brushing your fingers over his cheeks, the crease between his brows ready smoothing out.
Being his other senses were stronger than yours, he always relaxed when you grazed his skin. You brought him peace in an otherwise dark life. He was afraid to lose the light you brought into his life. The warmth and care he never felt before. He was afraid to lose everything that meant something to him. Something he wouldn't be able to replace. He was afraid to lose you.
"We're going to be okay," he clarified after inhaling sharply. "While you're busy protecting everyone, I'll protect you."