Utterly Hopeless: An Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter Twenty-Six: Grounding

(Threa)

Ominis and I walked silently through the castle's corridors, his hand tight in mine leading us towards the potions room. With each new step I felt my stomach drop more, turning to naw on my bottom lip in an attempt to ease the anxiety that's plagued me since I woke.

He's here. He's here holding tightly to my hand guiding me to my class as he has many times the past year. Nothing is different. Nothing has changed... But that was before last night. Before we almost kissed. Before I got Sebs letter. How can he be so calm right now? I feel as if I may go mental just walking next to him. Stealing a glance at the man next to me his face besmeared with bruises giving a ruggedness to his normally soft aristocratic features.

"Have you used the bruise paste we got yesterday," I asked ending our silent stroll. He hummed blinking a few times seemingly trying to register what was asked, I couldn't help my growing frown. What is taking so much of his thoughts? "Ominis?"

"I.... You asked of the bruise paste," he asked as I nodded. His features remained unmoved except for a slight burrow of his brows while tightening his hold of my hand. To anyone else they may have thought him content in our walk, but I knew better. Ominis has a great poker face, one that could convince a basilisk to pass without notice. But he does have tells. A slight upturn of the end of his lips when he was amused, the reddening of his ears when he's nervous, how his brows will knit ever so slightly together when he's deeply troubled... Something had happened to keep him this morning, something concerning enough to plague his mind now.

"I have not. I had to wake quite early this morning to address a letter I received after leaving you last night."

"You got a letter too," I asked unable to hide my curiosity. Ominis brought us to a sudden halt looking down at me in fear. Was it from Seb? I wouldn't put it past him, he sounded desperate in his letter for any type of correspondence. I know Ominis has been ignoring him, but maybe he mentioned something that he couldn't ignore.

"You received a letter last night," his voice bit with a concern that made my stomach churn.

"It's why Trinket so rudely interrupted us remember," I teased trying to ease his tense form. A flash of embarrassment skewed his refined features, he leaned back his chiseled jaw tightened showing off a greening bruise as his adams apple bobbed. "Ominis," I whispered, his unseeing eyes focused on me once more sending a shiver down my spine. His pensive look returning as he gathered himself.

"How bad was the letter," he ground out, nostril's flaring.

"Not bad... It's the first he's written me, so I haven't much to compare it to.... He wrote of the battle in the station and how he hopes we're alright, gave his condolences on Fig, went on about how the Prophet has been writing about us-"

'-Of course he did," he bitterly scoffed. "He tout on about how we've given him a good bit of press because of it too?"

"No, I-is that what he wrote you," If Seb is using us to get a better name Ominis has full right to be angry.

"That and a many other things," he seethed as the bell rang again. "Just another thing that must wait until later," he pulled me along again his long legs making strides my munchkin form struggled to keep with having to jump every few steps to keep his pace.

The vein in his forehead was bulging. Shoulders tenser than when Sebastian would annoy him to watch the Hippogriff's over the black lake. Holding tighter to me than after I escaped the repository.... What was in that letter? Had it have to do with what happened between them this summer?

He cleared a few steps in frustration carrying me with him as my ankle rolled on its landing making me hiss.

"Ominis slow d-"