Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 58: Loup Magique

((I hope you guys enjoy the new cover! Thanks to Geeky on discord for helping me edit the eyes!))

~~Damien~~

Damien glanced over to Marie as they lay in the grass of the quidditch field, not really knowing what to do next. He used to feel so confident around women, but now... he hardly knew what to do with himself. Especially because he didn't want to mess this up. This was different than before... this want Imelda, who he'd dated for a short stint just because of their competitiveness. This was Marie, who he cared for a lot more other than her skills on a broom. But what did he really know about her, other than her traumatic past?

"Where are you originally from?" Marie asked, looking over to him as they lay beside each other.

He smiled softly, a bit amused that she seemed to have had the same thought. "I was born in Paris. My parents moved to Cornwall when I was around 10 years old."

Marie sat up with interest. "10! So you've only been in the UK for half your life!"

"Yes." Damien chuckled. "Before that I didn't even know English. It was a rather difficult few years while I learned."

"What are your parents like?" She asked, rolling over onto her belly on the grass so she could lean her head on her arms as she spoke. The pose looked rather adorable, like she was listening to a story.

"My father is a rather burly man... he's been a miner all his life, since he was a teenager. It's caused him to have issues with his lungs... but I secret a few potions to him on occasion to help him with that." He smiled rather wickedly with the taboo smuggling.

"So bad." Marie giggled in amusement, smiling as well. "But understandable."

He was glad she understood, because he would do anything to help his parents. He still wrote to them often, despite his curse... though he hadn't had the guts to tell them about it yet. "What about you? You are Ariadne's half sister, so you share the same father...?" He asked, not clear on their relationship.

"Yes, our father is Mr Drisa, and my mother was one of the maids for the Drisa household. He made a deal with Lady Drisa to sire children with willing women because Lady Drisa cannot conceive. Then she would choose children to adopt from those he sired."

Damien frowned at that. "That sounds... frankly terrible. Like choosing children as prime livestock."

Marie looked up thoughtfully and hummed. "I... suppose that's right." She said softly. "I hadn't really thought of it that way. Either way, she didn't choose me for some reason. I don't know if I'm not pretty enough, or-"

"Bullshit." Wolf's voice said suddenly, and he put a hand over his mouth in frustration.

"Will you stop that?!" He said in anger at the wolf.

She is very pretty! Tell her, stupid!

Damien blushed at that and glanced over to Marie, who was looking over to him in surprise from the outburst. He glanced away nervously before he let out a little breath. "I doubt it is because you are not pretty enough, Marie... you are." He said in a soft voice.

Her eyes widened and she blushed, glancing away with a bashful look.

Yesssss Wolf howled happily in his mind from the reaction.

"I have to admit... it's a bit funny to see you talking to yourself like that." Marie chuckled, smiling over to him. "You're talking to the wolf when you do that, right?"

"Yeah. When he takes control randomly like that it takes me off guard." Damien sighed.

"Does he have a name?" Marie asked, her blue eyes thoughtful.