Heir of Gaunt

Chapter Three

September 16th, 1891: 11:23 AM, Courtyard

Nora scribbled on her scroll as the sun shone upon Hogwarts. The four friends had decided to study outside for the day, since it was so rare that they all had a break at the same time on such a beautiful day.

Well, Nora had decided to study. The other three seemed to be actively avoiding it. Sebastian had a snitch that he continuously tossed into the air, letting it fly a few inches before grabbing it swiftly. She wondered if Sebastian was interested in joining the reinstated Quidditch team. He definitely seemed to enjoy showing off to the people walking by.

Poppy was working with paper, but it wasn't for an assignment. She was folding her parchment into animals, then enchanting them to move around. She had about seven made so far and seemed way too delighted for Nora to stop her. Every time one came to life, she would play with it for about a minute before making a new one.

Ominis was...well Nora wasn't sure what he was doing. He was leaning against the tree with his eyes closed. It was almost as if he was asleep. She thought it was sort of cute the way a few of his hairs dangled from his head. Plus, he looked as if he hadn't slept too well again, and he definitely deserved some rest.

Sebastian apparently disagreed, as he took a spare quill and brushed Ominis' nose with it. Ominis let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm awake, Sebastian."

"Come now, Ominis. We're supposed to be studying."

"Oh, I suspect you've been studying real hard, haven't you?" Ominis said as he opened his eyes.

"Guys, we have an essay due in Hecat's class. She said we're getting some hands-on experience with boggarts next week." Nora pleaded. She found it difficult to focus with the amount of distractions the others were creating. Poppy's animals, Sebastian's snitch, and Ominis being...well that wasn't really his fault, he always distracted Nora.

"Hands-on experience, you say?" Sebastian said, smirking at her. Nora saw Ominis' face contort in disgust. "Sounds like an enjoyable class to me."

"Don't you have a paper to finish about the Elixir to Induce Euphoria to write?" Ominis asked him in an annoyed tone. Sebastian looked at Ominis, then looked back at Nora with a confused face. Nora shrugged, unsure of what to say to remedy the situation.

"You know, for someone who seems so focused on schoolwork, you don't seem to be getting anything done." Sebastian pointed out. He wasn't wrong, as Ominis had spent most of their "study" session relaxing against the tree. Ominis sighed, tilting his head in a different direction.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Nora could almost see the tension between the two Slytherins. Sebastian decided to pick at the grass, grabbing a blade and tying a knot with itself. His mouth was a bit downturned as he stared at the blade he fidgeted with.

Ominis, however, had a cold expression that covered his entire face. Despite the fact that he looked upset, she couldn't help but notice the way the shadow of the leaves covered his face, letting the sun only shine on his milky eyes. She wondered if anyone had ever told him how truly beautiful he was. His side profile seemed as if someone had taken a paintbrush and made quick strokes, allowing for little to no imperfection. She scanned over his lips, which she had practically memorized the look of by this point. They had a subtle cupid's bow shape to them, and they were practically never chapped. And, oh...his eyes. Some might disagree, but Nora found that Ominis' eyes were his most breathtaking feature. She often got stuck looking deep into them, looking for any sort of hint towards what he thought. However, they were simply a fogged window into his mind, veiling it and obscuring his innermost thoughts.

As Nora was about to fall deep into her trance, Ominis abruptly stood up, pulling out his wand. He began to walk towards the castle, running his hand along his hair as he followed wherever his wand was taking him. Nora yearned to follow him, but decided to hang back with Poppy and Sebastian, who seemed just as confused by his sudden departure as she did.