A Dance In The Moonlight

Chapter Forty-Two- The Messenger

do. I didn't realize until tonight as to how much I missed Hogwarts. I missed everything about it from the views to even Garreth blowing up potions every five minutes.

Still, although I knew it was terrible seeing as how I have been snogging with Sebastian, I couldn't help but miss Ominis. He was the kind of person that you couldn't stay mad at forever and recently, I've thought more and more of our last conversation. How he just cut me off and I let it happen without even getting a response as to why.

I sat up and walked over to Sebastian's room- as it was the first time in a while we hadn't slept in the same bed. He had fallen asleep right after we got home from Diagon Alley while I stayed up to clean and read a little longer. With a lantern in one hand to lead me down the right hallway, I lightly knocked on the door, as if to see if he was awake. No response was given though.

Sighing, I made my way down the wooden stairs and into the small kitchen with wooden cupboards and shelves full of various containers with large amounts of different ingredients per container for tea. I hadn't even stepped three feet into the room when the window above the sink, a creature startled me, making me almost drop the lantern.

An owl full of both dark and light gray feathers didn't move it's wide glowing yellow eyes, almost trying to prove it's dominance through creeping me out. Instead, unlike most owls delivering mail, it tapped it's beak against the window. Knowing I would regret it immediately, I opened the window to allow him in to which he landed on the tiny wooden table painted with a faded mahogany. Dropping the letter perfectly on the table, it turned to me and let out a loud screech that I was surprised didn't wake up Sebastian, as his room was directly above the kitchen.

"Shoo! Shoo you... owl!" I demanded after setting the lantern down, waving my arms like a mad man. The owl had finally gotten a clue, leaving out the window and I slammed it shut immediately.

Running over to the letter on the table to see who would send such an atrocious beast, I knew immediately with the words "my love" written in barely legible handwriting that it was from Ominis. As quickly as I could, I opened the cheap envelope and there it was- confirmation.

Hello my love,
I know you subscribe to the Daily Prophet and must have a lot of questions. I'm rather sorry to confirm that the rumors are true- I am to be married. I want you to know that the matter was out of my hands and if I did have a choice, I would choose you over and over again. How could I not? Every time I close my eyes, I hear your laugh echo my thoughts and your perfume everywhere I go. I regret everything I had said the last few weeks we saw one another but please trust me when I tell you that it was for your protection. You are the only person I have ever truly cared about but I would rather marry someone I despise than let someone hurt you for my selfish wants. We can talk more about the details the next time we see one another but I love you Merlina Wood. Please, stay safe.
-Ominis Gaunt

I couldn't believe what I was reading. I even had to take a seat in one of the three wooden chairs that sat by the table. Marriage? My protection? I felt the room spin around and around as I kept rereading the words on the parchment. Maybe I read it wrong because of him not being able to truly see what he wrote. Every time I read it though- nothing would change. My heartbeat began to quicken until it stopped for a moment as a result of a jump scare.

"Love? What do you have there?" Sebastian asked, placing his hand on my shoulder and making me hop a good three inches into the air.

"Sebastian! We need to find Ominis and break him free! This letter says he's being forced to get married. He clearly doesn't love whoever it is. We-"

"I already spoke to him about it last night. He won't leave his house." Sebastian informed as if that was supposed to make me calm. I could watch the color fade away from his face as he realized what he had just said to me.