KEEP IT, LOSE IT (HOGWARTS LEGACY FANFICTION)

chapter fifty-three

Sebastian quickly shifted the conversation, forcing a casual smile. "Ah, well... what I meant is that I'm not the type to go around with just anyone. I'm a gentleman, you know?"

Mary noticed his evasiveness, and though slightly confused, decided to play along. With a sarcastic smile, she replied, "A gentleman, huh? Then I guess I should feel safe around you. Not that you seemed worried about losing your title tonight."

Her comment eased Sebastian's tension, and he let out a small laugh. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Anyway, I think I need to get some sleep in a real bed before the night's over. Nothing like a good mattress for a tired gentleman."

He stood up, ready to wake Ominis, but Mary stopped him gently. "Let him rest. I'll wake him up. You go ahead and get whatever sleep you can. You look more exhausted than I do."

Sebastian gave her a grateful nod. "Alright. Thanks. See you tomorrow."

With that, Sebastian headed up the stairs to his dorm, the weight of exhaustion pulling him more than his thoughts. He collapsed into his bed, too tired to dwell on the conversation any further.

Meanwhile, Mary moved toward where Ominis was still asleep on the sofa. But as she approached, she noticed that his rest was anything but peaceful. His brow was furrowed, and his body trembled slightly. Suddenly, Ominis began to murmur, his voice filled with dread: 

"Don't make me... please, Father... I don't want to."

Mary's heart raced as she realized what was happening. It was a nightmare, one that was clearly dredging up Ominis's worst trauma. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, kneeling and cupping his face with both hands, trying to wake him gently. "Ominis, wake up... you're dreaming, please wake up," she urged, her voice calm yet urgent.

Ominis, trapped in the darkness of his nightmare, didn't respond. "Don't make me do it..." he repeated, his words choked with fear.

Desperate, Mary raised her voice. "Ominis, please, wake up!" She shook him harder, trying to pull him out of the abyss he was lost in.

Finally, Ominis jolted awake, his breathing ragged and cold sweat clinging to his skin. His hands gripped Mary's wrists tightly, his eyes still blinded by the terror of the dream. For a moment, he didn't recognize her, caught between reality and nightmare.

Mary didn't pull away, even though his grip was painful. "Ominis... it's me, Mary. You're okay," she whispered softly, wrapping her arms around him. "You're safe, okay? I'm here."

As Mary's words broke through his confusion, Ominis began to relax. His breathing, though still uneven, became less frantic. Slowly, the realization that the nightmare was over and that Mary was there, holding him, calmed him. With a mix of relief and need, Ominis embraced her, clinging to her as if she were his only anchor in the storm of his emotions.

Without thinking, he pulled her closer, until Mary ended up sitting on his lap. The contact was intimate, charged with intensity.

Mary, surprised, felt her face flush, but she didn't move. She could sense the desperation in Ominis's embrace, his need for comfort. "Ominis... you're okay. I'm here with you. There's nothing to be afraid of," she whispered, her voice as soft as a breeze.

Ominis didn't reply, but his grip didn't loosen. In his silence, Mary knew that words weren't necessary; his embrace said enough.