Acceptance: Hogwarts Legacy Continued

Chapter 23: Ominis- mapping you

The two of them stood up, and as they did Ominis felt something knock the back of his leg sending him down to his knees.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Squeaked a young voice. Probably a first year, feeling overwhelmed by all the platform had to offer.

Ominis just grunted and waved his hand, then he heard the trolley scurry away. He felt Diana drop down to him.

"Are you okay" voice full of concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. It's always like this though, usually I would have had our house elf take me straight to the train doors so I could avoid all the chaos I can't see out here."

He stood up, and she stood with him, but didn't start to walk. He could sense her hesitance, assuming there was something she wanted to say. He realized she might now be feeling bad that she had written to ask if they could meet up on the platform. He waited though before he reassured her, as he was now prone to do.

"Would it be easier to hold my hand or erm my arm or something? That way I can guide you to the doors and through the train without having to worry about anyone crashing into you."

He raised his eyebrows at this. He didn't really like touching people, and he detested the feeling he had when people had to guide him. It made him feel inferior, and usually preferred to use his wand. Anne had forced him to take her arm as a guide their second year at Hogwarts after an unfortunate incident. A group of older boys had been throwing a quaffle around, not watching where they were going. In the process of one of them making a catch, they landed against young Ominis and sent him rolling down the hill on his way to Care of Magical Creatures.
He hadn't loved it when Anne spent the year dragging him around the school, forceful as she was, but it did help him feel more safe. He thought maybe it would be worth a go with Diana. He also figured she was feeling responsible for the accident- which of course was ridiculous. None the less this would probably put her at ease.

"Sure, let's do that." he said, holding out his hand to her. He had expected her to reach out her arm to hold, but instead he felt her hand clasp his. She didn't even bring it over to her arm, she just held it and started forward.

Ominis' face grew warm- she was holding his hand. He felt almost certain that she didn't quite understand the implications of the gesture. He knew in her mind all she wanted to do was most effectively help him get to the train, and this is how she felt she could do it. He chuckled to himself, as she led him along, knowing that if he told her what others would be thinking seeing them like this, she would be doubled over in embarrassment. He decided that he would keep that information to himself, for her sake.

She squeezed his hand as they moved through the train, looking for an empty place to sit. Finally they found one, and she opened the sliding door. They both took a seat next to each other. Once they were down Diana let go of his hand, and he shivered at the cold that shocked him. What a weird sensation.

They sat quietly together. He guessed she was taking in the train and the view out of the window of the platform. She seemed very excited in her letter, sharing it would be her first time on a train. He was glad he got to share the experience with her, even if he didn't quite understand her enthusiasm.

He allowed himself to relax in the muffled quiet, letting go to the tension that had built up on the platform. It was as unenjoyable as going to Diagon Alley was, but she had made both better. He smiled remembering their coincidental meetup. He took a deep breath, taking in her perfume that was a bit stronger now with less distractions.

Oranges and her voice were the only physical indicators he had of her. He hadn't known her well enough to really distinguish her aura like with the Sallow twins. Obviously he didn't have the liberty to know her from her physical features, but he thought maybe he could in his own way...

"Diana?"

"Hmm?" she hummed her response.

"Your comments about how I have changed over the summer- it um made me realize I never got a chance to find out what you looked like before school ended, and now I don't know how you have changed."

"Find out what I look like?"

"You know" he held up his hands "through touch. I've only ever mapped out Sebastian, Anne, and my Nanny I had as a young child. But since we talk so much now, it would be nice to have an idea of you in my head."

"Oh! Do you want to feel my face?" She asked brightly

He smiled, "can I?"

"SURE!"

She was so enthusiastic about it, it made him laugh. He held out his hands and she grabbed them and brought them to her face. She didn't flinch at his touch which he was glad for. She seemed to be a bit of a jumpy person in general. Even though they were friends it was still a pretty intimate thing he was doing. He just didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

He moved gently around her features. As he got close to her eyes he felt them close, and he put a finger across her long eyelashes. He moved down her nose, and onto her lips, which were soft to his touch. He clocked their shape, and continued on. Her skin was also soft. When he had mapped Sebastian and Anne for the first time their faces both had lots of rough spots from the various fights and tumbles they were often in. Too often their sibling completions left them fighting and with more than one trip to the hospital wing.

He moved outward to her ears and felt around their edges. He felt and heard her giggle, they must be ticklish. He smiled, they were so little, it was rather cute. He then felt up to her hair, it was soft, but felt a little course from the texture. He assumed it must be wavy, or maybe a little curly. He held some of her hair and ran his hands down it to see how long it was. It seemed to have just passed her shoulders but it went out pretty wide, it made him think of a description of a lion's mane. He moved his hands back up and took stock of her face one more time.

As he made his final pass the cabin door opened and it made him jump.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Poppy asked, voiced laced with the innuendo.