OMINISxMC 𝒊 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆

Chapter 5: The Reprieve

Euphemia had twisted herself into a knot by the time Ominis returned from his detention. She'd picked out a seat in the common room with a view of the spiral staircase that led to the entrance, and every time a student appeared her eyes shot to the doorway, hoping to see him. She was so wound up that when he finally did arrive, she practically fell off the sofa running over to him.

"How was it?" she asked, breathless.

"Long," Ominis said, laughing. "He made me sort through his giant box of enchanted keys. I had to pick out all the ones that no longer flapped their wings."

He slipped his arm around her waist. "Judging by the level of noise, I'd say we're not exactly alone here. Am I allowed to kiss you in the common room?"

"You tell me. I'm from a different time, remember? I don't know what's acceptable here in—oh," she snorted. "Victorian England. You know, a hundred years from now we will be talking about how everyone was so repressed at this time."

Ominis smirked. "We are in Scotland, my dear."

"It's still the Victorian Era," she teased.

"For the muggles, I suppose it is."

"Wizarding society doesn't exactly seem like a hedonistic paradise right now either."

Ominis' eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "I fear we are getting off track." He pulled her closer and lifted his hands to her face, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. "May I kiss you?"

She nodded, and he bent down to do so.

Almost immediately, there was a chorus of 'boo!'s and they were pelted with several balls of wadded up parchment. A group of third and fourth year boys sitting nearby were obviously not impressed by their display.

"You'd better not let the Headmaster catch you befouling his niece, Gaunt," one of them warned, laughing.

"I'm not related to the Headmaster," Euphemia insisted, rolling her eyes.

"Sure you're not," another boy teased.

"Come on, let's get away from the children," Ominis smirked, and he made a rude gesture to the group as he pulled Euphemia away.

They headed up the stairs towards the dorms. At the top, Euphemia hesitated. On one side was the girls' and the other was the boys'. She didn't want to say goodnight, didn't want to go to her own bed, but—"I don't mean to be presumptuous," she began, and Ominis laughed, tugging her to the boys' side.

The room was empty, and Ominis strode over to his wardrobe, pulling the doors open and hanging up his robes. He unfastened his jacket and slipped off his tie. When he began unbuttoning his vest, Euphemia spoke up. "Are you planning on getting completely naked?"

He grinned. "Would you like me to?"

And all at once Euphemia felt terrified. It was too hot and she couldn't seem to breathe. It was one thing to drag Ominis around by his tie and kiss him under the stairs or in the common room, where she could be bold and brave and nothing would really happen. But suddenly she realised they were alone in his dorm, beside his bed, and she was in over her head, and she was not ready—

"I don't know," she mumbled, embarrassed.

Ominis stilled at the tone of her voice. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just—" she stopped. She could tell him the truth. Ominis, of all people, would understand. "I'm suddenly realising that I've come off quite strongly, and I'm... I'm all talk. I'm not ready to..."

Ominis stepped towards her, reaching for her hand. "You're shaking. What are you thinking?" His voice was full of concern.

"I'm sorry," she tried again. "I've never done this before. Anything like this, that is. Up until about twelve hours ago I'd never even kissed anyone, and now we're here in your bedroom, and we're alone, and I think we're getting ahead of ourselves—"