Through Sightless Eyes and Unforgivable Ties

Chapter 26: Secret Room

Victoria

As my steps echoed in the marble hallway of the astronomy tower I gazed up to see Ominis leaned almost a foot away from the non visible entrance to the room of requirement.

I sighed softly ready to turn around and make my way anywhere else but there. I wasn't too keen on speaking again so soon after the cottage.

"Wait, Victoria, I can hear you, please don't go" he said. The tone of his voice echoed a kind of pain that was impossible to ignore.

"What do you want Ominis?" I asked stopping in my tracks but not looking back at him.

I heard his footsteps as he slowly made his way over to me. "A chance to make it up to you" he said softly his voice right behind me now.

I turned to gaze at him his eyes were sunken in from sleepless nights. The days past having not been too gracious to him. His hair was disheveled which was very much unlike him. He was never one to look this unkept.

"I'm listening" I said finally. His smile of relief covered his face.

"I was doing some research about the school. Hoping to find something worth showing you and I heard about this room from one of the house elves about a week ago." He said.

I was so tempted to just laugh and ask if it was Deek, but I held my tongue trying to hear him out.

He was clearly struggling to get this right, how could I take that away from him?

"So they call it the 'Room of Requirement' it's enchanted to become that which the user needs." He said the smile on his face making the frustration I was holding onto start to melt away.

He has such a handsome face, and his smile just brightens up any room he's in. Or in this case hallway of course.

"That sounds incredible" I said softly, attempting to hide the fact that I'd discovered this room a week and a half upon stepping foot in Hogwarts.

"It Is, I've only entered it once before today, but I really wanted to show you it. To make up for...." He trailed off.

"The undercroft?" I finished for him. He nodded slowly clearly not liking the bad memories of our first serious fight.

He was showing me a secret room to make up for his reaction to the last time I'd found one and everything since. This idea was poetic and romantic in its own way.

"Would you care to join me?" He asked holding his left hand out as he drew his wand with his right.

The door behind him started to materialize. The twisting metal bars snaked their way outwards as the door solidified itself. Any unknowing witch or wizard would have claimed that Ominis clearly used a spell to create it.

I took his hand. Letting the familiar warmth of his grasp singe its way up my arm. He began to rise it to his lips stopping just inches away from my skin.

"May I?" He asked softly. Remembering my command to not touch me.

"You may" I said softly. His lips pressed into the back of my hand lingering there for a bit.

He was savoring this moment. Like he was scared these touches could be our last. Part of me had similar fears even if I knew the decision was in my own hands.

He let my hand release, the touch already being missed as he held his arm out to me. I slipped my arm through his and couldn't help but smile as he entered through the door.

The room never failed to surprise me. Everytime I entered my own version of it there was another item there that I didn't know I needed.

But this was Ominis' version.