Lemony Scribbles

Belphegor thinks you're terrified of him. You think he looks like a bitch without a smile. gn!reader, growing relationship, reader calls belphie a bitch lol, spoilers for lesson 16

BELPHEGOR doesn’t blame you whenever you flinch as he walks in a room, turn to stone when he sits next to you at breakfast and in class, and he certainly doesn’t blame you when you shuffle closer to Lucifer when he was lounging about. He tries to ignore it, but every time he catches you avoiding his gaze, guilt cages his heart. He knows he deserves it.

He watches you from afar. He sees how you offer Beel the sides of your breakfast even though he knows he can hear your stomach growl first period. He sees how you gently cut Mammon down, agreeing with whatever foolishness he was spouting. He sees you bring Satan tea when he’s cooped up in his room, and how you always match Levi’s excitement whenever a new game comes out.

Hell, you even like all of Asmodeus’ posts on Devilgram. (Belphegor wonders if you ever followed him back, and when he checks, he’s pleasantly surprised you are. He shouldn’t feel so happy about it.)

He notices how burnt you are before anyone else does. He sees the way your perfect posture slouches at breakfast, playing with your food – too tired to bring the fork to your mouth. He hears your textbook pages flip and papers crinkle at all times of the day when he walks past your room. Belphegor doesn’t smell the candles you light around your room anymore. It’s a shame, he thinks, he was always a fan of the one you claimed to be called ‘Witches Brew.’

You were utterly exhausted.

Exams in school should be easy as pie when you study the amount you do. Exams in a school of Hell, with different history you’ve never seen before, different wars from different realms, and the previous royalty that ruled over the underworld – God, it was too much. You were bleeding your brain dry, information upon information forced to retain.

Belphegor knows how hard it is for you to get sleep in the House of Lamentation.

His heart jumps out of his ribcage when he sees you walk into the planetarium. He eyes you as you stop, and stare at him. He half expects you to turn back on your heel and walk away- but you don’t. You stand there, letting the heavy door close behind you.

“Can I sleep here?” you asked, and he has to force himself not to do a double take. He doesn’t even realise it’s midday and you’re not at school.

Belphegor forces the lump in his throat down. He feels like his tongue is sandpaper. “You know you shouldn’t.”

“I know, that’s why I’m here.”

It’s… weird. You’re talking to him with no fear. You’re even meeting his gaze. Had he been misunderstanding how you have been feeling this whole time? His eyes narrow. Belphegor’s grip on his pillow tightens. Just what are you up to?

“Don’t you hate me for what I did to you?” he questions, lying back down and turning away from you on his makeshift bed. Where all chairs should be remained an open space, except for the heaps of blanket and pillows he had dragged down from the attic.

You tilt your head- like you’re the one who is confused. “No, why would I?”

“I killed you.”

“Dude, Lucifer has tried to kill me like a total of five times now. Levi has the lowest score of one. Your twin has tried to eat me when the fridge was empty!” You sound exasperated. “I think at this point you killing me that day has just became a normal day in Devildom.”

He doesn’t have to look at you to know you’re making your way over. Belphegor raises one of the blankets, and he feels the radiating, human heat of you when you slip in. It’s silent for a moment, and he rolls over, catching your eye.

“I feel awful,” he says so quietly, you almost didn’t hear him. “I thought you were terrified of me.”

You snort. “No,” you start, staring up at the constellations on the ceiling. “It’s just… You look kind of like a bitch when you don’t smile, y’know? I thought you still hated me or something.”

His brows furrow. “Rude.”

“Was rude when you killed me! I really thought you wanted a hug.” You see from the corner of your eye that his lips press into a thin line. “Bad joke.”

Silence rains over you both once again. Belphegor hasn’t been this close to you in a while. He vividly remembers how frail your body was, how easily it was to break – and now you’re just… laying here, next to him without a care in the world. Like he hadn’t ended your life and watched the light seep from your eyes.

The words tumble out of his mouth before he realises. Belphegor doesn’t care – but it’s hard owning up to your mistakes- your mistakes to a human, no less. “I’m not going to do something like that ag-“

You interrupt him with a wave of your hand. “It’s fine, don’t worry,” you say. “I trust you won’t. You don’t have to say you’re sorry, I can tell by the way you act.”

He sighs. “You humans are too nice. Are you sure you should be saying this to me? Are you not worried I’ll take advantage of your kindness or something?”

“Nope, not at all.”

“You’re so strange.”

“I guess, hehe. You’re different from all your brothers, though.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm. You don’t barge into my room at the crack of dawn every morning. Even Levi does it, and he doesn’t even attend school in person!”

He can’t help the tiny laugh that passes through his lips. “Sounds awful.”

“Why else do you think I’m here, huh?”

“Aw, and here I thought you wanted to spend time with me.”

Not even ten minutes ago you and Belphegor were as distant as parallel lines; to never touch, to never interact. And here you were, exhausted after exams and cracking jokes with him under the planetariums glowing stars - like you two were friends.

It conjures a weird feeling in his stomach. Belphegor doesn't know if he likes it.

You hum, thoughtfully. “I do want to spend time with you, though. I want to know more about you. Who knows how truthful all your stupid stories in the attic were, huh?”

“A few,” he utters through a yawn.

“Tell me more! I want a bedtime story.” And to get your point across, you wiggle in the duvets, and snuggled into the one over you, blanket to chin.

Belphegor almost doesn’t want to- but if a bedtime story is all your asking for? He guesses he could dig up memories from his past to tell you in murmurs and yawns. It’s the least he could do when you show him such acceptance. But still- he can’t help but think shouldn’t you be the one telling him a bedtime story? He was the Avatar of Sloth, after all. And your ‘stupid stories’ were far more entertaining than his.

And so he talks. He talks until his throat hurts, and his own voice starts to fade into background noise. Belphegor stares at the stars, throwing in the occasional hand movement. He talks himself tired, and his words slowly start to drawl, spoken through yawns until it fades completely.

He steals a glance at you. You’re asleep, he realises. And you look so peaceful, so content. Belphegor wouldn’t do anything to dare wake you up. He likes your face like this, he thinks, and pushes some hair out of your face.

Belphegor rolls over to face you, lazily draping an arm over you, nuzzling his face into your hair. He listens to your slow, light breathing. He smells your hair, your shampoo, and the body spray you put on this morning before you decided to skip school.

He decides that maybe, just maybe, giving into his selfish feelings for you just once couldn’t be so bad.

melting under blue skies (belting out sunlight)

ominis gaunt x reader (hogwarts legacy)

summary: you really wanna hold ominis' hand. "coincidentally", anne sallow has somehow dragged herself and her brother away from you and ominis during hogsmeade weekend

reader is not hogwarts legacy mc

word count: 2398

beware of spoilers in the comments/tags/reblogs!

"close your mouth, you're staring again!"

you hmmph, turning to anne sallow who giggles before stuffing her mouth again. you both sit in the great hall, waiting for sebastian and ominis to arrive.

"i wasn't staring," you retort, "i was just relieved that they finally arrived. i thought seb was going to make them late for breakfast again."

the boys finally make their way towards you, sebastian seating himself beside his sister and ominis finding his way by your side. you don't miss the smirk anne gives you behind her goblet when you turn red, blushing profusely. "he very nearly did," ominis sighs, although there was no venom in his voice, "it turns out that it was a good idea to send you both to the great hall early instead of leaving you to starve waiting for him in the common room."

you watch him fiddle with his hands, fingers digging into his palms to massage them. oh, you wonder what his hands must feel like.

"well, i don't hear you complaining," sebastian starts to argue, but stops himself, "actually no, you complained about it all this time, wallowing about making y/n wait."

you almost spit out your drink, but mask it as a cough behind your goblet. the idea of ominis complaining that he doesn't want to make you wait surprises you. you subtly turn your head to look at ominis' face, but like always, you cannot gauge his expression, his face blank.

"anyway," anne inhales, excited to change the subject, "any shops you're excited to go to at hogsmeade?"

it's a hogsmeade weekend, and anne is excited to go to visit shops in the neighbouring village. her brother chatters about going to the owl post to send a letter to his uncle solomon about a book he had forgotten.

ominis, as always, is quiet. he prefers to listen, but ever since getting to know you and the sallow twins, he also does not hesitate to chime in here and there. despite his quiet disposition, you certainly think he's become more engaged with sebastian and anne, now offering his opinions, sassing the sallow boy, and speaking his own mind.

you also started to notice how it's almost the opposite for you.

not that he has started ignoring you, no, not like that. recently, he just seems...reserved. when talking to you, he prefers to speak in a lowered voice, almost whispering. he would nudge you with his shoulder before leaning his face in your direction, asking if you stayed up late to finish your transfiguration homework, or if you dread the next potion class with professor sharp. you also remember how stupid you looked one time when you were certain that ominis gave a little chuckle, before asking, "remember how you gushed about that niffler in our beasts class but the little devil actually emptied sebastian's pockets of all the galleons?" like he was trying to make you laugh. when anne wasn't around, he would find you in the common room, helping you tell stories to other students about seeing merpeople in the water, the two of you smiling when the students would wait there for hours for any sign of merpeople swimming about.

oh, and it certainly didn't help that anne knew of your...infatuation with the gaunt boy.

you're not really certain when anne first noticed. you're not even sure when you first noticed it yourself. but you and anne are best friends, "we're sisters!" she'd say, "i know you like the back of my twin brother's own hand!"

her face was both mischievous and sincere when she told you, "y/n, you fancy ominis!"

-

after finishing up in potions, almost as though ominis can see the frown on your lips, he turns to you, "is something wrong?"

you purse your lips, trying to ignore how your heart flutters as you watch him tilt his head in curiosity, and shake your head, "no, it's just...we don't have enough mongrel fur to brew an edurus potion for next class."

ominis hums as he nods, "that shouldn't be a problem, y/n," he reassures you. he fiddles with his hands habitually, and you almost feel bad for taking advantage of his blindness to look at him like he hung the moon. "we can pick those up at j pippin's potions this weekend."

you thought about asking him to hold your hand before, whenever you four were up to no good, sneaking around the palace. you wonder if he would have let you.

"we really should learn that spell to clean up our potions station," anne sighs, "every time garreth brews something, he blows things up instead."

"and it's always us who end up getting splashed," sebastian bemoans.

-

"well, don't you look charming."

you roll your eyes as you watch anne grinning at you through the mirror.

"i look the same as i always was," you tell her.

"hm-mm," she hums at you unconvincingly, "if you only ominis could see you now, am i right?"

"anne!" you cajole her, turning beet red, "stop saying stuff like that!"

"what?" she raises her hands in defense, "i'm just saying you look beautiful, and if i didn't know any better i'd say you were going on a date!"

you ignore her, as well as the butterflies in your stomach at the thought of being on a hogsmeade date with ominis. you heard about couples who go to hogsmeade for dates, going to honeydukes for sweets, steepley and sons for tea and other confectionaries, and snogging in alleyways. but this is not a hogsmeade date, this is just the four of you going to hogsmeade to buy as many candies as you can afford at honeydukes.

turning to your best friend, you frown, "well, what about you? don't tell me you're going to hogsmeade wearing your night clothes!"

anne blinks at you slowly before she shrugs, "i'm not going to hogsmeade unfortunately."

you double take, turning to her in shock, "what do you mean? you were all excited about going to hogsmeade!" she laughs as you gape at her.

"yes, i was excited about it, but i got detention. remember? the duelling?"

you close your eyes in resignation, flashbacks of what happened a few days ago brought you back to when anne and imelda were rough-housing each other and ended up whisking their wands in the hallway--which was not allowed. duelling was only allowed during classes (and in crossed wands duelling club, which you were certain by now was not as inconspicuous as lucan and sebastian insisted).

-

disappointed by the lack of anne on your trip to hogsmeade, you exit the castle and expected to find the boys hanging out by the fountain. many students are situated there today, enjoying the heat of the sun, while droves are also walking to hogsmeade, and some took the opportunity to play quidditch (you can hear imelda reyes all the way from the quidditch pitch). to your surprise, however, the sallow boy was not there to greet you and complain about anne missing hogsmeade weekend, only--

"ominis?"

you were almost certain he could see you, from the way he stood up from the stone bench even before you finished crossing the lawn to greet him. he is expecting you, you gather, but how does he know that you were walking towards him?

"i didn't wait long, if that's what you're concerned about," he starts, the edges of his lips quirking upwards as he fiddles with his hands again. you look at his hands, then his face, trying to admire it like it was the first time you've seen it.

"and-"

"sebastian had detention," he cuts you off, but not in an unpolite manner. you take the time to admire how carefree, relaxed, and comfortable he looks outside of his uniform, "he got caught trying to sneak into the restricted section again."

your pace was slow and relaxed as you stroll outside the castle grounds. lots of students walk the path going to and from hogsmeade, the sounds of laughter in the air. you try to tell your heart not to do backflips at the absence of ominis' wand in his hand, trusting you enough to guide his way.

"what was he doing there this time?"

"i think he was trying to get back at peeves for locking him in the bathroom the other night."

at the sound of your laugh, ominis smiles.

-

you think of three different times when you were sure you realized how much you cared for ominis.

it could have been in your first year, when you sat next to him in charms and he would lose (let you win) summoner's court every single time even though you know that he was good at it (you saw him play against sebastian and leander and won). when you confronted him about it, there was an almost smirk in his otherwise blank face, "i like that whooping sound you make when you win."

it could have been when he told you and the sallows, whom he now call his friends, about his past, his family, and his resentment towards them and the dark arts. you didn't think any less of him and you don't now, and you don't think you ever will, but the look on his face seemed like the world was lifted off his shoulders. he began to smile more, make jokes, pass you some confectionaries and tea while you wait for your next class.

or it could have been that day in hogsmeade-

-

your hands kept brushing against each other.

you want to blame it on the other students-hogsmeade is too crowded!-making you squeeze through people and making sure that ominis is alright. you didn't want to break off the distance between you two (just to make sure he's alright, of course, nothing else). you two are now walking so close together that you can feel his body heat emanating, and you can smell him up close, and you mutter a quick thanks that he cannot see you because of how red you've become.

ominis let you drag him to j pippin's potions to buy those potions supplies--you tell him you can go there last, but he insists, "it's better to get it out of the way now to leave us free time to visit other shops."

leave us free time to visit other shops. yes, right, you have to focus.

the first time your hand brushed his you recoiled in surprise, hurriedly apologizing. you know that some people value their personal spaces, and it's bad enough that you're almost bumping shoulders with him because of the density of students in the village, you didn't want him to think you are also invading his own bubble.

he chuckles at your apology, but says nothing.

-

you bring him to tomes and scrolls next, and lets you toddle here and there looking for books to read. you didn't tell him what you were looking for anything in particular, so it surprises ominis when you skip over in front of him (he can almost hear the giddiness in your footsteps).

"did you find a book you want?"

grinning, you nod, "yes, finally! i had to order this, had to wait weeks! good thing it arrived just when we came here."

ominis feels the package being softly pushed against his chest, you standing in front of him almost expectantly, "what?"

"it's for you," you swallow, "i couldn't get you anything on your birthday, but here it is. belated happy birthday!"

you hold your breath as you watch him process what you said, afraid that he'll refuse it. it had been a special order that you had to wait weeks to get, hence why his gift is a bit delayed. you watch his face, the beauty marks on his forehead, his mouth opening (you hope it's not a refusal of your gift), and you realize that ominis is gaping. he is shocked.

"for me?" he asks, chuckling in disbelief. he finally raises his hands to hold it, fingers grazing against yours ever so softly, but you don't flinch this time, nor do you apologize.

patiently waiting as he runs his fingers on the cover of the book, you wait until he finishes reading it.

"bestiarum magicum?"

you nod, grinning proudly, "in braille! it's one of my favourite books, and this version goes in-depth with descriptions of the magical creatures," when he says nothing, you continue, "you seem to like it when i read it aloud so i thought..."

ominis clears his throat, feeling it becoming tighter. you ordered a braille version of your favourite book, the one he would ask you to read because you enjoy it so much and he enjoys listening to you. "i...thank you," he whispers, now giving you a shy grin, one that makes you blush, "i look forward to reading it."

-

the third time you realized just how much you cared could have been the time you two finally decide to go to the three broomsticks, hungry and eager to rest your feet. the alley is crowded again, and you try to make sure no one bumps into you or ominis, who now carries the book under his arm.

your fingers graze again.

you jolt, moving your hand out of the way and turn to him to apologize, but his head was turned your way, tilted in that same way he does whenever he's curious, and there is a smile on his face.

before you can open your mouth to apologize, you feel it again.

first, the heat.

then his skin.

his fingers touch yours slowly, as if asking for permission.

if ominis can see you, he would see your eyes wide in shock, surprise, cheeks tinted red.

finally, his fingers tangle with you, and his face turns forward, the smile never leaving his face.

he squeezes your hand gently, like saying "is this okay?"

you squeeze back, and shift closer to him that your shoulders touch. "yes, it's okay."

-

inside the three broomsticks, sirona greets you two. "hello kids, go upstairs, there's people waiting for you, i'll bring the butterbeers right up."

you and ominis are both confused, but his hand doesn't leave yours as you guide him up the stairs.

in one of the tables sat the twins, mischievous and victorious smiles on their faces.

-

hp phase is back so much i started rereading my fave fanfics on fanfiction.net lmao

49 hours into the game, 55% progress

bby ♥

petty highschooler luke

the cc list would be super helpful!! I struggle so much to find people

!! aaa im glad to hear that this compilation will be useful. i feel like it's really difficult to find people in the same fanbase, especially if you're new to something. it took me so very long to get used to using social media (i feel ancient saying this.) and finding my delusional circle of mutuals TT_TT

with that said, here's a list of artists i found for each character (not exhaustive, and not in any order):

(because im not sure which ml these artists like the most, and because i really recommend everyone to look at their beautiful art)

疯兔AD (ia), こえだ

luke (this might get a little long...)

twitter: hazel, kana, gabs, hay, 와플, rai, Triangular, 咖啡爷, Betina, gnomeih, 安 (ia), 深海灰猫, 葉瑠, 神凪ると, xeiling, as, qea, Buoyancy (ia), 境零, はるこ, keeko (ia), elegy (ia)

weibo: 七个骰子_, 烧烤摊在逃鱿鱼, 临临2333, 坏坏不反派, 食用废料 (18+), 还是钵钵鸡 (18+!!), 弥月Yazuki, 梦洁猫012

artem

twitter: 西红柿与圣女果, bel, Non, 蓁, Jen, angypuff, karla

weibo: 柒叶啊柒叶, 忧铃YuRinnn, 忒弥斯茶水间, 你看我头像帅吧 (18+), -糖辛子-,

vyn

twitter: Poisona, amma, ruriswhite, kurtniii, Lys, rien

weibo: 适当给游戏氪金, 文华区席梦思

marius

twitter: 魔女茶, 成成灾 (ia), jjeno, 酒酒子, 木小树, florielatte, puni, kiya, cacaoobean

weibo: KaicggO, FujIK0, 鹿鹿柠子

notes: ia = inactive (in tot), 18+/18+!! = occasionally nsfw/ mostly nsfw

a lot of the artists have accounts on both twt/wb, but i only included one link. if you're having trouble navigating wb, the gallery tab should be the furthest one on the right!

if anyone has any artists to recommend (because i probably missed a lot scrolling through twitter/weibo) , please let me know! i'll edit this list regularly <3

thought he would look cute in my style :3c

Hiiiii! You just served my simping Ass some really good fics about Ominis thank you <3 If you have time and Do requests i have one in mind. So like the scene where you learn the crucio curse and reader wants to take it but Ominis obviously doesnt want Sebastian or anyone Else to hurt her? Just something like that? Amazing work thank you <3

a little unsteady

ominis gaunt x f!reader (hogwarts legacy)

the scriptorium requires the use of unforgivables because salazar slytherin believes they are not to be feared. when the new fifth-year casts the cruciatus curse on you, ominis starts to regret the decision to enter the scriptorium.

reader is not hogwarts legacy mc

word count: 3312 (so far my longest one!)

warnings: use of crucio; hogwarts legacy mc bashing!; manipulation

“sebastian is up to something.”

ominis has been a lot more concerned about sebastian lately. he had brought up some questionable things whenever you three are together, talking about dark arts and salazar slytherin, despite ominis' insistence that the dark arts are dangerous. sebastian would keep talking about how it could be the key to finding out what happened to anne, and while you do want anne to be better and have her curse lifted, you wonder if this is the right way to do it.

“did...did he say something to you again?”

“yes, talking about how we all couldn't avoid the dark arts altogether, and that we may as well be prepared for it,” ominis has a frown on his face, clearly not happy with this encounter with sebastian. “he kept asking about the entrance to the scriptorium.”

you are both in the dungeons, voices quiet so as not to give away the topic of your conversation. “well, knowing slytherin, he'd probably put it somewhere in the dungeons, huh?” you say jokingly.

when ominis doesn't say anything, you sigh and reach for his hand. “we'll talk some sense into sebastian. what he should be doing is spend more time with his sister, not go around on some wild goose chase seeking the dark arts.”

ominis seems soothed at your remark, smiling as he squeezes your hand in comfort. shortly, he stiffens, “i hear footsteps,” and gently faces whoever approaches, partially blocking you out of sight protectively. his frown deepens when the new fifth-year walks behind sebastian. “what are you doing here?”

“hello ominis,” the new student greets after giving you an acknowledging nod, “do you have a moment?” meaning to get you out of the picture.

you move to leave, but ominis' hand grips you, "y/n stays here." you sense that ominis is beginning to feel quite stressed about this encounter, somehow knowing that the new student is going to talk to him about something. your hand squeezes his own in reassurance, as well as to prevent him from pacing anxiously.

“what is it? what have you and sebastian been up to now?” he asks suspiciously.

from behind the wall not far from you, you see sebastian, who is very clearly eavesdropping. you try to catch his gaze, but almost like he notices your staring, he disappears behind the wall once more.

“i owe you an apology,” they started, “i wasn't honest with you before about the undercroft. sebastian did show it to me.”

to say that ominis was upset when you both caught the new student leave the undercroft is an understatement. it is quite suspicious for someone who just arrived to just “accidentally” stumble upon the place, and the fact that they lied about it to ominis’ face is even worse. the undercroft is supposed to be yours. it is your sanctuary, where you, ominis, and the twins would spend some time together playing gobstones, studying (trying to, anyway), resting, and just where you would enjoy each other's presence. it is, was, your comfort knowing that there is a place only for you and your friends. ominis feels understandably betrayed when sebastian just decided to show the place to someone they barely know.

“he wanted me to have a safe place to practice some spells,” the new student continued, “to try and catch up to the other fifth-years. he didn't think you'd mind.”

“we would have appreciated it if you had let us know first, seb,” you say softly knowing that the sallow boy could hear you, and you almost see sebastian deflate at your words, “you must understand why we feel betrayed about this.”

ominis, however, seems to be placated by the apology. he sighs, “i suppose that makes sense. it's just...sebastian's been pestering me lately about something and i'm frustrated with him.”

the new fifth-year chirps, “don't tell me he's still going on about...what was it? a 'scriptorium'?”

you turn to them, "he told you about that?" you see ominis' shoulders sag in disappointment. it seems you both are wondering how and why your old friend has taken to this new fifth-year so easily, not even second guessing before he shares best kept secrets with them. secrets you promised would only be known by the four of you.

"he did," they answer, "we were talking about hogwarts founders and he mentioned it. he wouldn't say much more, though."

"yes, well...he seems to think it contains the answer to saving anne. i think it's likely full of dark magic that is better left untouched."

"wait, you've never been inside?" the new student seems surprised.

"of course not!” even the thought of it sends shivers down ominis’ spine. “i only know about it because of my favourite aunt, noctua. she thought like i do. she didn't agree with the family on the use of dark magic."

you sigh, raising a hand to run it up and down ominis’ back in comfort. "noctua has hoped to convince ominis' faily that there was more to salazar slytherin than worshipping pure-blood status."

"she'd heard of this 'scriptorium' and thought its contents might shed some light on him,” ominis adds, “she even found the secret entrance - in this very corridor.”

you stop from rubbing ominis’ back, looking at the new student cautiously. you can see the sparkle behind their eyes, now fully interested in what ominis has to say.

"she wrote regularly to my father about her efforts to gain access, and then she simply vanished. no one else ever tried to enter."

“i'm sorry about your aunt,” the words are devoid of empathy, “don't you want to find out what happened to her?”

ominis sighs, shaking his head, “aunt noctua went down this path with good intentions and lost her life. i don't want the same to happen again.”

“you don't know that history will repeat itself. besides, you said your aunt thought like you. this could honour her memory—”

“stop it!” you exclaim, “ominis already said no!”

the new student barely hears you, not even giving you as much as a glance before continuing, “--get you answers about slytherin, and sebastian answers for anne. your aunt pursued this alone, but we could do it together.”

"hmm, i see what you've done here," ominis replies, "and, i confess, you've convinced me. i didn't think it possible."

you sag beside ominis. you don’t have a good feeling about all this. it really seems like the new student came to speak to ominis to somehow convince (or manipulate?) him into revealing the location of the scriptorium.

the mirth in the new student’s face is not lost on you.

“very well. i shall tell you what i know,” ominis tells them. “fetch sebastian. we'll wait.”

"let's hope we don't regret this," you tell them before they walk away. "ominis, i don't think this is a very good idea," you turn to ominis cautiously as the new student goes back to get sebastian. all throughout the conversation, you could sense how they are slowly trying to use whatever ominis is saying against him, trying to justify it by mentioning how it will honour noctua grant's memory.

"i...must say i am apprehensive as well. but i need to know what happened to aunt noctua. to see if there’s any way to change my family’s views. salazar slytherin couldn’t have been all bad. y/n, you don't have to come,” his hand leaves yours and flies to touch your cheek in comfort, “i would rather you stay here.”

"i'm not leaving you and seb in there alone," you protest, "i would rather be in there with you than lose my mind out here wondering if you're safe."

"i knew that you would refuse," he tells you with a small smile. "but i promise you that no harm will come to you."

“i promise to protect you too,” you tell him, smiling as you rest your forehead against his, and hear his relaxed sigh, “you and seb.”

when sebastian arrives, he gives you a small and almost sorry smile. you two haven’t spent as much time as before, with him being busy running around with the new student.

"these braziers grant access to the scriptorium." ominis tells them.

sebastian scoffs, "oh now you'll share? you wouldn't tell me when i practically begged."

"seb," you admonish him.

“it wasn't you who told me what i needed to hear,” ominis replies with a shrug. “opening the entrance has something to do with threes.”

“well, three, or four heads are better than one,” sebastian jokes.

"it's two heads are better than one."

“and by that logic, three is better than two. simple mathematics, ominis.”

you roll your eyes at the sarcastic remarks exchanged by the two friends, watching as the new student lights three braziers. then, an intricate door seemingly gets carved out of the wall beside ominis. the door gives way and you see a winding staircase descending.

"there it is," you tell him, "the scriptorium."

"i hope we're ready for this," ominis says apprehensively.

you start descending, using lumos to light up the way. "dark, ominous corridors. my favourite," sebastian remarks sarcastically.

"no comment," ominis notes.

"come on, that was a good one!" sebastian elbows you gently, "right y/n? dark...ominis...huh?"

you roll your nothing but smile at the joke, reaching over to tangle your hand with ominis’. he calms down somewhat, at the touch.

"look, here's a journal entry. signed by noctua grant." the new student remarks.

you watch them cast reparo on the rubble, and it reforms against the wall. "it's a relief of a person facing a snake," you tell ominis.

"that must be the voice i hear. it's ancient, sinister."

"you hear a voice?" the new student asks him.

"it started when you repaired that relief. i hear a whisper saying, 'speak to me'.

i'm a parselmouth - i can hear and speak to snakes,” ominis explains. “nearly all known parselmouths are descended from salazar slytherin."

"i'd like to be able to talk to snakes," the new student says cheerfully. you and ominis both frown at that.

"you might not want the ability to speak parseltongue. it's often associated with dark wizards."

"you haven't spoken parseltongue in ages," you remind ominis.

"yes, but i'd wager if i speak it now, the door will open."

"i'm hoping you're having second thoughts," you turn to the new fifth-year.

"not really." they shrug nonchalantly. your frown deepens. they can clearly see how uncomfortable ominis is about all this, do they not care?

“it's ironic,” ominis sighs. “when i left home, i vowed to leave the dark arts behind. and yet, here i am. stand back."

he extends his arm in front of you protectively, making you stand behind him. "i can't believe i'm doing this," he mutters, seemingly to himself.

"ominis, don't do this if you don't want to," you tell him, "please, we can just go back up."

"we're here, aren't we?" the new student chimes in. "we might as well go in."

you watch worriedly as ominis begins speaking parseltongue, the language coarse, ragged and so unlike ominis. the door before you opens, and you hear the new student excitedly raving about it, "it worked! ominis, you possess a rare ability indeed!"

"i don't like the look of this," you tell ominis as you watch sebastian and the new student delve deeper into the maze-like hallways. "we really should turn back."

"i need to know what happened to my aunt...but if they don't solve the puzzle and get us out of this maze, we'll go back up," ominis promises you, "i don't like spending time down here."

-

much to your chagrin, the new student figures out the maze and leads you down an ever more unsettling hallway. the door has disappeared behind you completely, leaving you trapped in this hall.

"ominis," they call out, "a skeleton. and noctua's last journal entry. she mentions being trapped here - blocked by an unforgivable curse."

"oh ominis, i'm so sorry." you turn to him, seeing the distress and grief in his face.

"this...is where she died. this is where we'll all die," ominis laments, panic evident in his voice, "i shouldn't have listened to either of you." he turns to you, sorrow in his face, "you were right, y/n. we never should have gone...i'm so sorry, i should have listened to you."

"ominis, i'm truly sorry about your aunt," sebastian says, although once again, you notice the lack of sincerity in his voice, "but i know what to do. it's going to be difficult."

"sebastian, stop it," you beg.

he ignores your comment, "tortured faces on the door and crucio is etched into the stone. my guess is if we cast the cruciatus curse, the door will open."

"seb, do you hear yourself?!"

"no y/n, listen! that is why noctua died. she had no one to cast the curse on. ominis has the most experience with this. he should cast it." turning to ominis, he starts, "ominis, i know this is the last thing you want to do--"

"yes, it is!" ominis wails, anguish in his voice at the thought of being trapped here, of dying, of not listening to you earlier, of being forced to cast the spell again. "i thought you knew me better!" once again, he feels coerced, like when he was younger. he thought he had gotten away from all of it.

"but this is different!" sebastian rationalizes. "whoever you cast it upon will have agreed to it first. it wouldn't be an innocent 'victim'. we have to open the door."

"the spell won't work unless you mean it." ominis shakes his head. "that's true of all unforgivables. if it must be done, then one of you must cast it."

"we cannot cast it on you," you overhear sebastian tell the new student, "you have to solve these puzzles. if there are more of those ahead, we need you in the right state to solve them."

"then should i cast it on you?" they ask.

you are both horrified and resolute at the thought of using or receiving the cruciatus curse. you know you can't have ominis cast it, not after he had sworn off it for what he had been through. you also cannot fathom the idea of having one of your best friends, sebastian, who you think of as a brother, on the receiving end of it. and it seems like it cannot, or should not, be casted on the new student, who sebastian needs to be in good condition to face whatever's ahead. the choice is clear, you think, but that doesn't mean you like it.

"cast it on me." you tell them.

instantly, ominis stops his fretting, and sebastian turns his head so fast that you wonder if he will get whiplash from it.

"y/n..." sebastian starts.

"absolutely not!" ominis exclaims, anger now in his voice at the very thought. "it's my fault for bringing you into this mess, y/n, i will not have you do this."

"there's no one else, ominis," you try to reason with him, holding his hands in your own to stop him from pacing. you can hear his breath picking up, and it breaks your heart that there's no other choice, "it has to be me. i can't have you or sebastian be on that receiving end."

"no..." he whispers, "no, i'll do it."

"y/n," sebastian chimes, "i can take it, don't worry. you don't have to."

you ignore him, now turning to the new student. you give them a nod, which they returned, looking at you resolutely.

it is quiet at first, and ominis thinks for a second that you don't have to do it after all. then, he hears your screams.

muffled, gritty, like salt to his wounds. it feels the same, almost like it was him who is being tortured when he hears your screams. it is clear that you are trying not to scream out in pain, so as not to alarm him or sebastian--he has done that too in the past. suddenly, he’s transported back home to when he was younger, watching as his family hunts and tortures muggles for fun. but instead of them, it was him pointing his wand and casting the torture curse. at you.

ominis snaps out of it, and almost like reflex, his wand is out and he is yelling at the new student, "stop! stop it right now!"

the new student looks surprised, eyeing ominis’ wand apprehensively and drops their wand. you crumple on the floor, breathing heavily as you try not to cry from the pain. the new student turns around to see the door has opened, and they are talking to ominis gently, almost comforting him, as ominis still has his wand pointed at them.

"y/n?!" he calls out, his wand still brandished. sebastian moves to help you, but stops when ominis points the wand to him, "stay back!"

"i just want to check up on y/n--"

"you've done enough," ominis hisses.

sebastian looks hurt at ominis’ remark, but says nothing as the latter kneels down to you, calling your name softly.

he hadn’t meant for you to be involved in all this. the one person he has tried to keep it all away from, is the one that is currently hurt from the cruciatus curse.

“please, y/n…” he grasps your shoulders, wanting you to be alright.

you finally gather yourself, looking up at him and seeing his eyes filling with tears. you raise your hands shakily to his face, “i’m alright, ominis. i promise.”

ominis says nothing at first, exhaling in relief as he leans forward to lean his forehead against yours. “we have to find a way out now,” ominis states, helping you get up and wrapping his arms around you protectively. he keeps you close as you navigate the scriptorium and ushers you to the exit. “we need to go to the hospital wing—”

“ominis, no,” you breathe, “they’ll know we’ve been using unforgivables. we’ll get stuck in detention, if not expelled.”

“but—”

“just stay with me,” you plead, “i’ll be fine…i just need you here with me.”

he nods, his arms tight around you. he rests his lips on your temple, savouring the feeling of you next to him, of you being here. “i won’t leave,” he promises you, “i’ll stay here with you.”

-

back at the undercroft, you find yourself cuddled next to ominis in a loveseat he had conjured. he’s quiet, eyes unfocused and unlooking straight ahead as your play with his hair.

“what’s going on?”

“i failed you,” he turns his head to your direction, his face streaked with tears, voice cracking in sorrow. “i promised myself that i would keep you away from all this, but i hurt you and i failed.”

“my love,” you sit up from his lap, trapping his face between your hands, “it was my decision to do it. you didn’t fail. please…ominis, i need you to understand that.”

“it will take me some time to forgive myself,” he tells you, “but as long as i know you’re safe now, i’ll feel better. and i promise that you will never experience that again. as long as i'm alive.”

you nod against his forehead, whispering, “okay,” feeling ominis’ hand on the back of your neck.

“i love you,” he whispers, “please forgive me.”

“there’s nothing to forgive," you reassure him, "i love you too."

ominis sighs, nodding once, and presses his lips to yours. it’s salty, from his tears, but also soft, and you kiss him back. his hands fly to your hips, squeezing gently, before pulling away.

you grin at each other, noses touching and rubbing together, before he closes the distance again.

-

my tooth hurts so bad 😖 i hope i get it removed tomorrow!!

tysm everyone!! <3 ily all!

you deserve a more tender tomorrow.

soaking up sunlight

you let out a yawn and lean back onto the tree stump you're resting at, empty food containers set to the side as you and your lover soak up the sunlight.

the forest is quiet today, and tighnari seems to appreciate that; his head lays comfortably on your lap as your nimble fingers thread through his hair and scratch and the base of his big, soft ears. they twitch at the slightest touch and you're grateful that tighnari has closed his eyes or else you and your lovesick grin would be in for a whole new world of teasing.

though, something claws at the back of your mind.

"tighnari?" you whisper, so quiet that the man himself wouldn't have a clue that you had even opened your mouth if it weren't for his inhuman sense of hearing.

he hums, ears perking up slightly, and you aren't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"are you sure you don't have any other duties to attend? i wouldn't want there to be something important and-"

"are you trying to get rid of me?" he asks, cracking an eye open and cutting you off, and you aren't sure if he's joking or if he's actually concerned.

"well, no-"

"then, you should get some rest while we're taking a break, rosebud. nothing will have changed while we were gone." he once again cuts you off, this time reaching up to guide your stray hands back to his head.

and you only sit there and soak up the sunlight. and, you suppose that it wouldn't hurt to take a break from your duties for once; at least, that's what you tell yourself. only for a few minutes, you reason, waves of drowsiness hitting you like a raging sumpter beast.

you make sure to give tighnari's soft ears one last scratch before you drift off to a peaceful sleep.

Cinderella returns the favor

2021