Run Away ✧ Hogwarts Legacy

chapter five

I Caught Myself by Paramore

-✧-✧-✧-

Seventh Year

"You breathe a word about this place to anyone and not even your precious Antheia will be able to help you." 

It felt like an awful case of déjà vu for Ominis Gaunt to have to lecture the new coming to the Undercroft. There was blood still on his hands from pulling the dagger out of Antheia's shoulder only minutes ago, once it was clear that she would be okay, he had pulled the unwanted guest outside to warn them of the importance of the Undercroft remaining a secret. 

"My father is friends with the Headmaster and I'm not afraid to exploit that connection if I need to," He warned. 

"I'm sorry," Desmond said back quietly. His voice was softer than he expected it to be given the little they knew about each other. 

It felt like scolding a puppy that wasn't able to fight back.  

Ominis pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, unsure of what he was supposed to do about this situation. Emergency be damned, he was annoyed. The Undercroft belonged to him, not Antheia, she should have brought anyone else there. Let alone her boyfriend of all people. 

Before he could consider anything else to say to make it clear that Desmond wouldn't share his secret, he began to walk away, turning his back on the secret room. Another, "I'm sorry," was muttered as the Ravenclaw passed by. 

Ominis was torn between thinking that Desmond Esper didn't care or wasn't afraid of his warning. It was neither of those things. 

Back inside the Undercroft, Antheia was still unconscious as Anne had helped treat the cut in her shoulder. When Anne peered up to see Ominis returning alone, she gave him a nasty glare. "Where did Esper go?" She hissed, "Did you give that stupid speech about the Headmaster again?"

"Of course I did," Ominis complained back, "I'm not sure where he went nor do I care where he went. After I politely reminded him that the Undercroft is the property of the Gaunts then he ran off. Although I'm still concerned that he may tell someone about this place."

Anne rolled her eyes at the old friend, he may not be able to see the theatrics, but he could hear the tone in her voice. "He's not going to tell anyone. Esper is a good person so stop worrying so much."

"Sebastian couldn't stand him. You think he is a good person." Ominis whined in the tune of a song, "Antheia bloody dating him. What in Merlin's name am I supposed to think of him?"

"Think whatever you want," Anne complained, "It's been a very bad night for all of us, including Desmond. It isn't safe for him to be wandering alone around the castle after that thing attacked them. Please go make sure that he makes it back to his dorm safe."

"But I-"

"For me."

Ominis snarled at the suggestion, but it was always difficult for him to refuse a request from Anne Sallow. He had promised to watch over her and take care of her two years ago. It had felt like the least that he could do after they thought they had lost her brother. Even the littlest request seemed too meaningful to refuse.

The rest of the night, he spent attempting to find Desmond Esper, although he wasn't sure where to look. The more places he checked, the more he was conceived that he was already back in the Ravenclaw Tower likely sleeping off the stress of the night as they all should be doing. He considered going to the house's dorm to ask around, but he didn't want to fuel any more undesirable rumors for himself. Ominis gave up after an hour and hoped that he would find him in class the next morning to save himself the trouble.