Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 25: The Blade

~~Ominis~~

He couldn't believe he'd done that.

After all his years of resisting. All those denials and all the torture he'd endured to not cast the cruciatus curse, and he'd done so willingly, without anyone asking. He hadn't even thought about it, it had been something that came at the first thought of wanting to hurt Marvolo.

It had been because he'd been so determined to help Ariadne... but to think that felt hypocritical, because Sebastian had just been helping Anne as well, yet he'd nearly gone to Azkaban for it.

He moaned in misery, hating himself. What kind of man was he? He didn't even know who he was anymore! So much had changed about him, he was so confused!

The shock of the moment had made him turn Ariadne away as well, not wanting to be touched as he struggled with his emotions and trauma from his childhood. He hadn't known what to do after that, and still didn't. How could he possibly face her after what his brother had done? How could he possibly talk to her when her left her to his devices and caused that to happen? He should have been there! He should have stayed with her...

But now his family had gotten their way. They'd won. They'd gotten him to use dark magic willingly. All because he'd wanted to protect someone! Had everything all been for that purpose? Had they married him to Ariadne to use his sense of morality against him? He didn't know!

The way she had cried, it had torn him apart, his own tears falling as he heard her pain and sorrow from down the hall. It was his fault, his fault, his fault! His damn family, his damn brother, his damn decision to leave her with him. He should have known Marvolo would try something so wretched!

He buried his hands in his hair, trying to deal with his turmoil. It felt like parts of him were fighting inside him. Some frightened part of his inner self was being beaten out by something far stronger, and far more powerful. It was scary, to feel these fundamental changes from one event. He'd protected her, but she'd still gotten hurt. She was in pain, but he didn't know what to do. How did he deal with this sort of thing? He'd never been the one to comfort a woman before, especially after something that had been his fault in the first place! Who was he to comfort her right now? Who was he to even show his face around her?

But one thing was certain, if he hadn't been sure of his growing feelings for her before these events, he certainly was sure of them now. He'd been fully prepared to duel his father if it meant protecting Ariadne, something he had never considered before.

If his father's reaction was anything to go by, then he'd been rather shocked by it too. The reminder that Ominis was no longer a child and in fact fully capable of fighting back had apparently shaken his father enough to make him lower his wand. That had never happened before. Ever.

He felt oddly... stronger after that encounter. Even though his father had chased after him, he had still stunned him with a powerful enough spell to stop him before he cursed him again. He'd even stood up to Marvolo, though... the way he'd done so made him little better than his brother.

How could he have done that?!

It was times like these that he missed Sebastian and Damien the most. Their reassurance always made him feel better about bad situations, and either of them threatening to beat up whatever was standing in his way had always made him smile. Most of it was bravado of course, they couldn't actually beat up his family like that.

Or could they?

No, that was ridiculous. His family was his own to deal with. They always had been, and they always would be.

He was silent for a long time in his study, the bustle of the street having long died off and the lantern lighter traveling by the house with the telltale click clacks of the candle he held on a stick to light the street lamps one by one. It was his sign that night had come, and it was getting dark outside.