Bittersweet Heart (Ominis Gaunt x James Sharp)

Merry Christmas

Hogwarts Valley awoke to find itself blanketed in several feet of snow. The once-lively lake was now frozen. Students lazily emerged from their dormitories to the Common rooms, still clad in their cosy pyjamas.

A magnificent Christmas tree stood near the stairs with a great number of presents beneath its branches. It was only nine in the morning, but there was already a crowd. Despite the early hour, a crowd had already gathered, eagerly searching for gifts from their friends and families.

Sebastian, having returned home the day before, could have been helping Anne decorate their tree by now. James, on the other hand, remained snug in his bed, peacefully snoring. It was the first time in months that he could sleep as much as he desired.

A gentle touch on his shoulder stirred him from his slumber. "Merry Christmas," a familiar voice whispered.

James slowly opened his eyes, still half-lulled by fragments of a dream. "Ominis?" he murmured, sitting up in bed. Glancing around, he realized he was alone in the room. "Did I oversleep Christmas?"

"No, everyone has just started to wake up. I have prepared a gift for you," Ominis replied, pulling a box from behind his back. "I find the common tree a bit crowded, so I wanted to catch you up here."

James had already received gifts from Sebastian — a stolen yet remarkable spellbook — and from his father, who typically gave him money. He eagerly began unwrapping Ominis' present. It turned out to be a Beast Care set, the package proudly proclaiming, "Everything you need to keep your snuffles fluffy!"

"Do you like it?" Ominis asked unsurely. "I assumed you already had all the necessities for Quidditch-"

"I love it! It's perfect, thank you!" James was sincerely touched by the fact Ominis noticed such things about him. "Ahem. Actually, I wanted to give you a gift personally as well."

Reaching for the nightstand, James retrieved a sizeable bundle and handed it to Ominis. He swiftly unwrapped it, his fingers traced the patterns on the cover.

"It's, um, a book," James stammered, feeling slightly awkward stating the obvious. "I remembered the time when you mentioned feeling lonely, especially now, particularly at night when you have no one around. I added some enchantments and made a few revisions. If those feelings resurface, simply open it and tap the pages with your wand."

"James, it's beautiful!" Ominis exclaimed, planting a kiss on James' cheek, much to James' protestations about not having washed his face yet. "I didn't know you were into writing."

"Neither did I," James admitted, his cheeks flushing. "But I wanted it to be something unique, just for you."

***

The Great Hall was adorned with Christmas trees, and the tables were laden with an abundance of food, groaning under its weight. James helped himself to everything as if it were his last meal.

He saw for the first time Ominis eating this much too, so James made sure to add more food to his plate.

Feeling happy and satiated, they ventured outside the castle. Sebastian had sought some alone time with Anne, granting James and Ominis a week of uninterrupted holiday with no particular plans.

The sun reflected from white mountains and lit up the eyes. It was a light, but snowy day — a rare sight to witness.

They strolled leisurely through the valley, lost in their thoughts. Unbeknownst to James, he had veered ahead, becoming lost in his own musings.

Suddenly, something cold struck James in the back. He instinctively drew his wand, only to find Ominis standing there with a mischievous smirk, a handful of snow in his hand.

Lowering his wand, James smiled and said, "Oh, you don't want to start this with me."

"I believe I already have," Ominis replied, tossing another snowball playfully. He looked at James challengingly and added, "Or perhaps you simply 'don't want to' beat me?"

When a particularly naive person describes Ominis, expressions like "well-mannered" or "he would never" often come up. However, that wasn't always entirely true. 

"Are you teasing me?" James chuckled. "Come here." He scooped up a large snowball with both hands, but Ominis managed to shield himself with a Protego charm.

Another snowball came hurtling toward James. He ducked under it and swiftly reached Ominis' feet, pulling him down and showering him with snow from above.

Ominis waved his hands in protest. "Pft- Stop, stop!" he exclaimed, laughing uncontrollably with a mouthful of snow. James continued sprinkling more, his eyes filled with reckless joy.

"It's payback for behaving like a brat," James said, seizing Ominis' hands and kissing him with a smile.

"Mff-mh-mh", Ominis was laughing through the kiss.

He kissed him even more tightly. Ominis rolled beneath him, still laughing, as James playfully teased him.

"I can't remember ever seeing you like this," James remarked.

"I, ha- I can't sto-" His eyes were already in tears.

James cupped Ominis' chin and kissed him deeper. It was a simple trick, and Ominis fell for it, finally starting to relax.

Ominis' tongue felt so hot, it contrasted with his frozen fingers on James' neck. They haven't broken the kiss until their lips grew windburned.

James moved back, still holding Ominis' chin. His warm mouth was opened with red, slightly swollen lips. The sight urged James to shift his thoughts.

He kissed Ominis softly one last time and said, "You're freezing. Let's head back to the castle."