No Choice But You // Ominis Gaunt x Reader

Chapter 13

I had a bit of a surprise the next morning at breakfast when the mail came. I never received a lot of mail anymore, so it was unexpected when my owl swooped in and dropped a small parcel on the table in front of me. I checked to make sure it had my name on it before opening it, too. 

"Ooh, what's that you've got there?" Anne mused as I carefully pulled back the wrappings on the parcel. It was a small, flat-ish box. 

"Not sure," I replied. 

"Well open it, I'm curious now." Anne turned her full attention to me as I opened the lid of the box. An even bigger surprise than getting mail at all was what I found inside the box. 

It was the exact locket that I'd been looking at in Hogsmeade the other day. 

"That's pretty," Anne said. "Did it say who it's from?"

"No." I scanned the Great Hall to see if anyone was spying on me as I opened it, hoping the mystery gift giver would give themselves away, but I had no luck in identifying a possible suspect. 

"Secret admirer, I reckon," she said. 

"It could be anyone, really," I responded. Though thinking about it, it had to be someone who was in the shop alongside me in Hogsmeade that day. I hadn't told anyone that I'd been looking at it, so no one would have known to get it for me. 

I opened the locket to find a small square of paper folded up inside. Unfolding it, I realized it was a note. 

I'm sorry. 

That's all it said. There were no initials or clues to hint at who might've gifted the locket. I closed the box, but Anne put her hand over mine. 

"No, you've got to wear it!" she said, taking it from my hands. She removed the locket from the box and motioned for me to turn around, and I did as requested. She fastened the locket around my neck and pulled my hair back over the chain. I ran my fingers over the locket, trying to think of who would want to get me a gift. "Who do you think got that for you?"

"I haven't the foggiest." I scanned the room again, just to make sure there wasn't anyone watching me too closely. 

* * * 

Advanced potions was kicking my butt. I knew at least that much for this class. 

As I walked into the room today, a familiar aroma filled my nose. It was petrichor mixed with the scent of fresh parchment and something sweet like fruit. I instantly remembered where I knew that smell when I bumped into someone's back. 

"Watch where you're going," Ominis said, turning around with a sneer. 

"Sorry," I said, covering my nose. Seriously, how much cologne did he think he needed? His scent was practically filling the whole classroom. 

His face softened after I spoke. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was you," he said, his tone softening as well. 

"It's my fault," I said. "I got...distracted." 

Ominis examined me with an odd expression and tenseness before heading over to the front of the classroom where the rest of the class was huddled. Professor Sharp was leaning against his desk, and a cauldron with pink mist rising from within it was resting on the desk beside him. 

"Everyone, gather around," he said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Can anyone tell me the name of this potion?" He raised an eyebrow at the class and waited for someone to answer. A hand shot up at the back of the class. 

Ominis's cologne was still in my nose, and it was honestly distracting me from everything. I shook my head and put my hand over my nose. 

"That is amortentia," the student from the back of the class said. It was Amit, of course. 

"That's correct," he said. "Five points to Ravenclaw. Now, a lot of you may know this as a love potion, but I assure you; it is anything but that."

Professor Sharp droned on about the do's and don'ts that came along with the potion, but I couldn't focus on a single thing--not when Ominis was standing right beside me. His scent was honestly overpowering. Nothing coming in through my ears was sticking, and the only thing I could think about was him. 

Then, Professor Sharp put the lid on the amortentia potion, and it was like I was snapped out of a daydream. I shook my head. Ominis's scent seemed to fade, and he smelled no better or stronger than he normally did. 

My cheeks reddened when I came to a sudden realization. I kept my head down and didn't say a word about it. 

Embarrassing. I wasn't attracted to Ominis Gaunt. He hated my guts. He didn't want me around him or his friends. All I ever did was annoy him anymore. 

I knew better than to like someone like that, didn't I?

After class, I headed outside to cleanse my nostrils and my brain. I paced the length of the transfiguration courtyard, trying not to think about Ominis. 

Oh, but I couldn't help it. 

Not only did he smell amazing, but he was handsome--a catch by anyone's standards--and... no. There was no 'and'. There was nothing. I couldn't let this turn into anything. Just because I felt mildly attracted to him physically didn't mean anything. I mean, that's not what mattered. Not really, in the grand scheme of it all. 

I turned the silver locket over between my fingers as I paced. I shook my head, trying to get rid of all these stupid thoughts. It was hard when the ground outside was wet and the smell reminded me of a certain grumpy, stubborn someone. 

I headed back inside toward the library. Books. That would clear my head. 

I got to work on one of my transfiguration assignments and cleared my head of everything that wasn't homework. 

Nonsense. That's all this was. Pure nonsense.