No Choice But You // Ominis Gaunt x Reader

Chapter 37

"Do you think this one will do?" Anne asked me. I turned away from the dress rack I'd been looking through and faced her as she stepped out of the dressing room. She wore a floor-length gown in an ugly, bright, yellow, with the most awful neckline and tulle skirt I'd ever seen. 

"You look like a Hufflepuff," I said, crinkling my nose. 

"Hey-" Poppy interjected. "There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuffs! Though I do agree, that dress is atrocious." 

"Y/n's right, a Slytherin shouldn't wear yellow anyways. Besides, I don't think it suits my skin tone. Are you going to try any dresses on, Poppy?" 

Ominis had asked me to The Ball. I never even had the chance to buck up and do it myself like Anne had suggested before he asked me. When Anne stepped back into the changing room, I turned my attention back to the dress rack. So far, nothing had caught my eye. 

"Thanks, but I already have my dress," Poppy stated. "My Gran sent me something to wear, and I can't say no to her."

Anne popped out of the dressing room a few minutes later in an emerald green gown with silver accents. "How's this? Slytherin enough for you?"

"That one suits you more, I'd say," Poppy told her. "Just look at your waist!"

Anne did a spin in the mirror, eyeing her reflection. The sleeves were long and sheer with a modest neckline. The bottom of the skirt seemed to sparkle in the light as she moved. I bit the inside of my lip, wondering if I'd be able to find something that would look that good on me. I'd always felt awkward and wrong in nice things, and it didn't help that I'd lost tons of weight. Now, it felt that everything clung to me in all the wrong places and never sat quite right.

I sighed and moved over to a different rack. As I flipped through the dresses, my fingers brushed over a piece of silky fabric, which instantly caught my attention. I grabbed onto the skirt of the dress and pushed the other ones aside.

"That one's lovely," Anne said behind me. "You better try that one on."

I grabbed the article from the rack and headed to the changing room. When the dress was on, I stood in front of the mirror and surveyed my reflection. Ignoring the glaring flaws, like my jutting hips and gaunt face, the dress wasn't half bad. I liked the waistline of the garment, and the sleeves weren't too bad. It was black and shimmery and looked like a clear night sky.

A knock sounded on the dressing room door. "You going to show us, or what?" It was Anne, who sounded rather impatient.

"Hold your horses," I told her as I turned the knob on the door.

I stepped out, and Anne gave me a wide grin. "That's the one, for sure. If you don't get it, I will!"

* * *

Anne had yet to tell any of us who she was going to The Ball with. Any time we asked, she simply stated that it was a surprise. Poppy was going with Sebastian of course, and we all knew about Garreth and Imelda, however odd that seemed. I was still sure they were only going as friends, but Anne had different theories. 

I headed down to The Undercroft that afternoon to catch up on some homework somewhere it was quiet enough to do so. With the dance coming up, everyone seemed louder and more chatty, which made it hard to focus. I had my books out in front of me and I tapped my quill against my lips as I stared down at the parchment in front of me. History of Magic essays were my least favorite; no imagination or ingenuity went with the subject as you could find in Potions or even Defense Against the Dark Arts. It simply bored me, especially with Professor Binns as the teacher. 

Right as I started on the essay, I heard someone come into the room. I turned my head to see Ominis step into The Undercroft. 

"Hello, Ominis," I greeted. He held his wand out in front of him to guide the way over to me. 

"Homework? Anne said you were down here."

"History of Magic." I scooted over to let him sit on the floor next to me. "I've always hated this one." 

"I can understand that," he said with a small smile. "Professor Binns isn't exactly the most engaging instructor." 

I leaned back, resting my head on the stone wall, and I let out a breath. 

"What do you say to a little break?" Ominis asked, tilting his head toward me. He rested his hand on my thigh, just below the hem of my skirt. 

"What did you have in mind?" I breathed. 

Instead of responding, he grabbed my chin with his finger and pulled my face to his, pressing his lips against mine softly. His tongue barely brushed my bottom lip, eliciting a small sound from my throat. My pulse was already racing in my chest, even before he hooked my legs with his arms and pulled me into his lap. I gasped in surprise, and a grin pulled at the edges of Ominis's lips in response. 

His hands slid up the backs of my thighs just under my skirt as he went in for another, deeper kiss. I parted my lips unconsciously as he did so, granting his tongue access to the inside of my mouth. His tongue swept across the roof of my mouth before swirling around mine. My hands found his hair, my fingers messing through the perfectly styled strands. 

Part of me kept waiting for him to break away, and to tell me this was a mistake. That I was a mistake. I couldn't help it when my chest felt tight, and when everything turned sour. His kisses were good, addicting even--but I couldn't help feeling like this fragile thing could fall apart at any moment. 

Ominis pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "Is everything alright? is this too much?"

I wasn't sure how to respond. I wanted this, I knew that. But there was just no way to know whether or not he wanted this too. 

He ran his hand across my cheek and through my hair. "You're still hesitant." His eyebrows were knit together. I pressed my face into his chest and breathed in his scent, squeezing his torso tight. I wanted this. I knew I wanted this. 

So why was it so hard to forget the past?