In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume II: VII*

Marat wiped his face, pushed himself away from the table, and stood up to leave. His fingers grazed the edge of the marble before he stopped beside me.

"Ominis and Morganna are right outside the greenhouse door. It leads from the veranda to the garden. You may go." Marat vanished quickly when the door slammed shut.

I gathered my dress and carefully walked on the cobblestone over to the garden entrance. The door was made of glass, so I decided to assess my surroundings before I left the greenhouse. I had no plans to run into Xilia. My eyes searched the area, and then I saw him.

I could feel my gaze soften as I watched Ominis and Morganna holding hands, trapping Klein in their embrace. Morganna had been singing part of "London Bridges" until her song erupted into laughter. Ominis relinquished his grasp when his wand alerted him to my presence.

I pushed my way through the door and ran into his arms. While his hands grasped my back, I could feel his lips whispering, "My love," into my hair. He planted small pecks from my ear to my cheek. Once he made his way to my mouth, he kissed me passionately.

I had not seen Marvolo appear, but his voice was distinct as he commented, "Eewww..." My eyes flew open to see he and Morganna were watching us.

I pulled away to place my forehead against Ominis,' and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Morganna had placed her hands over Marvolo's mouth.

"No, Marvolo. Love can be beautiful. You are too much like father." Her voice was much quieter than before while she shook her head at him.

Ominis smiled widely at me when he pulled further away. His hands grasped my arms until they grazed down the sleeves of my dress. Our hands met, and his thumbs caressed the tops of my fingers.

"A man does not know himself or what he truly desires until he courts a woman. The beauty she possesses alters the course of his life." He brought our hands up to his lips and softly kissed the space between my fingers and wrist.

He admitted, "I am lucky to be a changed man." With his hands still encompassing mine, he leaned in to press his lips against my cheek.

He dropped my hands and turned in Morganna's direction. "We will be back, little ones. If Xilia requests my presence, let her know that I am giving a tour of the grounds." Ominis returned his grasp to me, this time on my waist.

He guided me over to the cobblestone path on the side of the home. In the daylight, the manor appeared even larger than before. There were tall bushes lining the edge of the stone. Small potted plants were scattered around the area.

We made our way toward the pond at the back of the property. Ominis' gaze stared forward as he broke the silence, "What was Marat's intention with tea?" His face did not change.

"He asked how we had met and alluded to my past relationship with Sebastian. He was curious as to why we did not remove my memories, as well. I was as vague as I could manage." I grabbed his hand in mine and squeezed for comfort.

I looked down at the stone beneath us. Hesitation overcame me while I bit my bottom lip. "He also seemed alarmingly interested in my magic."

Ominis sighed. "I knew he would at least be curious after our rough introduction." He ran a hand through his hair before he stopped at the end of the water.

"I would say that I am not concerned, but I would be lying," Ominis appeared tense.

I smoothed my hand against his back and reassured him, "We just have to make it past the wedding. When are you planning on publicly asking me in order to appease your family?"

"Tonight. Whether they approve of not, we are to be married. I am not concerned with their opinion. I just prefer to follow Xilia's rules to avoid punishment." Ominis shrugged as he bent down and put his hand on the ground.

"What are you—" My voice trailed off as Ominis grabbed ahold of a gold latch. He opened what appeared to be a trap door.

He gestured for me to climb down the ladder. The small hideout was pitch black while I pulled myself down by each rung.

Ominis followed close behind. His wand provided some light until we reached the floor.

"Lumos," I pulled my wand up to see where Ominis had brought me. The room was small, maybe three meters across both ways.

"It used to be an old wine cellar. I literally stumbled upon, or I guess in it, one day. I removed the barrels and brought in as many pieces of furniture and belongings as I could." Ominis lit a candle on the small table in the corner of the room.

One of the walls was fashioned as a bookcase filled with novels. I scanned the titles and noticed most of them were romances or tragedies. There was no in between. Parallel to the bookcase was a tiny bed. It seemed it would have been more fit for Ominis at a younger age.

"Evanesco." My voice was soft. The bed disappeared. I pulled Ominis and myself back to the end of the room while I began to conjure a normal-sized bed for the two of us.

I took my hands to my spine and untangled the ribbon. I ripped my corset off and grabbed ahold of the bedpost to breathe in and out deeply. My ribs felt sore.

"This sleeping arrangement in the manor will not work for much longer," I said, my voice teeming with annoyance.

Ominis took his hands to my cheeks and kissed me. As soon as I felt his thumbs brush the sides of my face, my stomach twisted into a knot. A sharp inhale drew across my lips, and Ominis pulled me onto the bed.

I tugged at my dress to attempt to remove it. Ominis grabbed my hand and commanded, "Don't." He scooped underneath my waist and laid me sideways on the mattress.

He managed to move the multiple layers of my skirt to the side, and I gasped when he pushed his fingers inside of me.

I felt his fingers glide easier. He stroked gently, pulling the wetness toward my clit. My body shook with each movement, and I felt myself pulsing under my bodice.

He bent down and continued his pace. His other hand trailed down my thigh while he pushed it to the side to make way for him.

Ominis kissed me softly under my skirt. I could feel the pressure cease when Ominis removed his fingers. He brought them to his lips as he savored me on his skin. A loud groan escaped his lips, "I will never get over how good you taste."

He lowered his face into me. I let out a loud moan. His tongue moved against me, inside me. I gripped the sheets to ground myself. I felt the pace of my breathing increase.

My hips inclined as I yearned for him. He groaned against my pussy until I could feel his tongue split. That was all it took.

My moans turned to screams as I began throbbing and felt an intense rush of heat. Ominis did not pull away. He lingered for several minutes until I reached for him.

He flipped my skirt back down and brushed my hair back. I relaxed when his hand pushed against my skin before his fingers grazed my ear. He then pressed his lips against my cheek.

"Let me pleasure you for the rest of your life." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Please," I begged as my lips met his.