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

Chapter 41: Pas de Deux

Paganini "Cantabile"

Ominis

**

The scratch of the record sounded every so often in the large ballroom at Rookwood castle. Ominis could hear it echo along the walls and floor as Garreth led them through their first dance. It was significantly far easier and relaxing without worrying about any commentary from the sidelines. It was not Ominis' first dance—nor was it Garreth's. But it was special for them—for this was their first dance.

Dancing in its many forms was both a practice in recollection and conversation in movement. Every step ingrained into Ominis and every dance wove a new memory into the fiber of his being. The scents, the movements, and music were all background settings for the participants on the dance floor. If dancing was a discernible measure of the relationship between its participants, Ominis could admit Garreth would always be his preferred partner.

"Ah! Sorry, love," Garreth stammered as Ominis winced at the slight pain on his foot.

"Not to worry," he laughed, giving him a bright smile, "I've stepped on your feet countless times in these last few minutes."

"Doesn't quite hurt," Garreth laughed, giving him a slight nudge with their wrapped fingers to turn.

Through dance, anger, love, frustration, and sadness were well expressed between the follow and lead—and that much more under the watchful eyes of those on the dance floor.

But in the comfort of a private ballroom, the only judgment— any worthy judgment came from one's own dance partner.

**

Ominis supposed Caroline Rookwood was a nice enough young lady—though he wasn't quite sure how much he liked her. When Sebastian had told him about a girl that he wanted to introduce to him and Anne—he wasn't sure what to think. And he was more hesitant at Sebastian's pleas to show her the Undercroft. But Ominis relented, sighing in defeat—reasoning that Sebastian's happiness and a newfound friend for Anne at least was worth the trouble.

It had been a few weeks since the start of Second Year and his meeting of Caroline. She was happy—too happy in his opinion. Helpful—annoyingly so with her ready notes from History of Magic. And sweet—too much for Ominis' taste if he was being completely honest. But here they were sitting on a pair of boxes in the Undercroft, laughing at the twins' attempts to practice dancing.

"Why are we doing this again? It's not like the professors will allow third years to go to the Yule Ball," Ominis could hear Sebastian yelp as Anne scoffed.

"It's a good life skill!"

"For you maybe—but I don't see why I should endanger my poor toes for the sake of your practice!"

"Well, if you were a better lead, it'd go a lot faster," Anne mumbled, "You're barely a tolerable dancer."

"If you weren't such a terrible follower—"

"Alright! Alright—" Caroline coughed, "How about we switch partners for the meantime? Anne, let me lead you. Sebastian—you'll be with Ominis."

Ominis had been tense in Sebastian's arms, the sound of Caroline and Anne's giggles doing little to stem his anxiety. He could hear the rustle of their skirts as they spun fast around them, biting his inner cheek as Sebastian stepped on his foot. Where he dipped, Sebastian had already risen—where he turned, Sebastian was slow to follow—and where the artistic twirl was expected, Ominis was hesitant, wondering if a column or the girls were nearby.