Yule Balls and Old Foes

Chapter 13

A/N: Listen, I know sectumsempra in the game canon, wouldn't exist until decades later. Keep in mind, this is sooo unrelated to that. Let's just assume that the spell already existed.

"Ominis Gaunt, we need to talk," Norah said upon entering the Undercroft.

The blonde, who had been dozing off on the couch, sat up, blinking a few times to wake himself up. "What is it?"

"Those letters, those letters you sent me, did you mean what you said in those?" Norah questioned. There was a sense of urgency in her voice, and it made him stand up, sensing her approaching presence.

"What?" He said, seemingly caught off-guard by the question.

Norah took another step closer. "Those letters you sent me, when you were disguising yourself as "Nick," did you mean those things?" She said. "If you did, then please be direct with it. If you didn't, then please be direct with it too."

Ominis' heart was pounding, and somehow, he could also hear her heart racing. "I-I did," He admitted with a sharp exhale. "But I also know that I can't-"

"Can't what?" Norah asked, her expression softening.

"I can't- I can't be with you," Ominis said. "I don't deserve you, my family already despises you, you deserve so much better than to be with someone like me-"

"Don't you dare say that, and don't you dare tell me who I can and cannot love," Norah shot back. "Do you love me?"

"Norah, I-"

"Do you love me?" She repeated.

"Yes!" Ominis blurted out. "I love you! I love you Norah Lee! I have loved you for weeks, months, almost a year! I always have loved you and cared for you, I wrote to Anne asking for advice about you, I summoned you because it's only you that I want, from the moment you came out of the Undercroft for the very first time, I have loved you, and it's been eating away at me every time we catch ourselves alone together. I look for you all the time, I always hear your voice, I've wanted so badly to even just get the chance to hold your hand, be near you in a way that would make me not care about what anyone else has to say, I love you Norah," He was almost pleading, wanting to stress how sincere he was.

Before he could say any more, he felt her arms wrap around his neck, her lips over his own in a deep kiss. He froze for a moment but it didn't take long for him to reciprocate, his arms enveloping her waist.

He savored the moment until he could hear the faint sounds of Sebastian calling him.

Ominis opened his eyes, ignoring the pounding in his heart at the reality. It was all a dream. A dream where he had the courage to say what he felt about her. The warmth of the morning sun hit him, and he felt around for his wand to get ready for their first class. It had been three weeks since the Gryffindor party, and now everyone was looking forward to what might happen when the Hufflepuffs host the next one.

~

The search for more astronomy tables was put on a halt for the time being because even Amit couldn't handle all the NEWT-level homework they were being set to do. Even Ominis couldn't keep up to the point where he would fall asleep some nights, with his books, quill, and parchment on the floor. All the sixth years seemed to be experiencing the same, being unable to enjoy the Halloween festivities the weeks prior because of it.

Nurse Blainey's sex education lesson didn't seem to help, in between snickers and giggles over having to brew contraceptive potions. It was awkward enough for any of them to try brewing some out in the open, and not even Garreth wanted to risk doing so while in Potions. To make it even more awkward, at least for Sebastian, Ominis, and Amit, Norah allowed them to brew theirs in the Room of Requirement.