Sins of the Father | Sebastian x OFC (Caroline Rookwood) | Ominis x Garreth

Chapter 23: My... We Are In Trouble...

Ominis

**

It was in the early 1200s that Bridget Wenlock discovered the magical properties of the number seven. It was a number that promised fame, power, and glory. The seeker of a Quidditch team was the coveted seventh position. At the age of seven, a little witch or wizard became lucky enough to begin to show their powers. And at seven, the purity of a unicorn was fully seen when their coat would turn pure white. So, it was without a doubt when the residents of the wizarding world would wonder exactly how gifted the original seven families were.

"But they say it's a curse..."

It was usually whispered among the gossips. And though gossip was frowned upon, it did not stop the world from noticing and wondering. The Bulstrodes were influential, but their sons and daughters were always deemed unsightly. The Malfoys were wealthier than all the members of the sacred circle, but generations were only left with a single son to carry their line. On the other hand, the Weasleys were bountiful in heirs but left wanting in their pockets. The Blacks were promised all the opportunities so long as they remained pure lest their family incur a tragedy. The Greengrasses were blessed by beauty but carried a sickness. The Ollivanders were brilliant wandmakers but were known to be strange and had a tendency to go mad. And the Gaunts? With their lineage, power, and beauty—they were sat high on a pedestal, a shining hope for the other families that such legends remained in shadows.

It was something of a myth in their family— a wonder if they had escaped such a curse because of their direct descent from Salazar Slytherin himself. They considered themselves shielded from such faults because of their strong magic. It became a joke amongst their family to point out each other's imperfections. His favorite aunt, Noctua, was often told she was deaf and dumb for being able to properly hear and abide the words of her elders. She often responded in kind to Ominis' father and told him he lacked any sort of taste when it came to the company he kept. His grandfather had been considered out of touch as the turn of the century and developments in society were made—mudblood contraptions, he called them.

But after countless decades of inbreeding within the sacred circle, the mighty Gaunt family could no longer hide their defects. Because at the birth of Ominis and the inability to cure his blindness, the myth became reality and whispers really took hold.

Gifts—especially magical gifts, always came with a price.

**

Sight—it had been a sense that Ominis long accepted he would never have, becoming content with the descriptions of others to paint the world around him. And with his wand and the heightened use of his five senses, he had no reason to want more. At least, not until he felt Garreth's hands fumble with the buttons of his blouse.

"You're certain you don't want me going with you?"

Calloused hands, worn from use, chopping ingredients, and playing Quidditch were trembling as the question was whispered to him despite the loud, raucous noises around the Weasley home—they had no reason to whisper in the middle of the day. But Garreth insisted in helping Ominis pack and 'look more presentable' in the quiet privacy of his room before Ominis' inevitable floo to the Gaunt estate.

It wasn't often that Garreth's calm, happy demeanor was overshadowed by other emotions. Ominis could only count on one hand so far when Garreth Weasley was anything but happy. So, the trembling touch of his fingers on his chest made his beloved's anger clearer knowing that he was headed home. And the strong scent of lavender and fresh basil pressing him deeper into Garreth's chest could only emphasize the fear and anxiety roiling in him. But it was the sound of the soft, undiscernible sniffle and cough, coupled by the taste of a saltiness in his kiss that sent an aching in Ominis' chest—Garreth was shedding tears for him.