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writing-intheundercroft · 6 months

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Your Ivy Grows // Hope

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Summary: Ominis Gaunt cannot see, but he can feel. He can feel the tall thickets of grass outside of his Aunt Noctua's house, now his for the summer. He can feel the sand down by the beach, the water of the tide pools, the overgrown ivy in Noctua's beloved garden. Most importantly, he can feel the gentle brush of his house guest's hand against his as they take their daily walk. He fears that he may feel much, much more for his new house guest.

Word Count: 4,035

Chapter Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut, Oral Sex (M receiving), NSFW, MDNI

A/N: Jealous Ominis! Cheeky Seb! Two people who don't know how to communicate their feelings properly! (also RIP Anne)

She stood at the edge of the water, the tides splashing against her ankles.

“He sounded fairly certain of it, didn’t he?” she asked, her voice small and broken.

“I’m so, so sorry.” Ominis said softly. He stood behind her, a few feet away. “He did.”

Ominis had taken his supper in his chambers after meeting with Marvolo. The next morning, he’d asked her to take a walk down to the beach with him at breakfast. After their spectacular night in the garden, she’d anticipated another romantic outing. She danced down the stairs, wearing her favorite dress, thinking of kissing him.

Instead, Ominis took her down to the beach to explain Marvolo’s plan. How her father hadn’t found the spell book he’d tasked him with, and how all of the funds he’d been provided to conduct the search had been exhausted. How her parents were now penniless, and only her marriage to a stranger could free them from Marvolo’s clutches. And now, worst of all, Marvolo was planning on sending suitors to the house, all to appraise her–as if her opinion didn’t matter.

She swallowed thickly, wiping the salty tears that pricked the corners of her eyes. Ominis stood behind her, hands clenched in fists. The breeze had rustled his hair, the blond strands falling against his forehead as he looked at her with a frown.

“So I guess that’s it then,” she muttered, wiping her nose with her sleeve. “We should probably stop whatever we’re doing.”

“No,” Ominis croaked. “I don’t want to do that.” He hesitantly stepped forward, his shiny shoes getting wet in the process.

“What’s the point?” She lamented, sniffling. “It’s not like you want to marry me.”

Ominis paused, which filled her heart with dread. She hadn’t meant it that way, not truly–her dalliance with Ominis had merely been one of summer fun, something she might look back at years in the future with a blush on her face. She knew there was no way Ominis Gaunt would ever marry her. Even if he did care for marriage, his bride would be someone rich and beautiful, from an illustrious family with a fancy name.

Certainly not the daughter of a humble treasure hunter.

“That’s–I don’t mean it like that,” Ominis said hastily. “You know how I feel–”

“I know,” she echoed, crossing her arms as the wind carried her curls. “I know.”

Ominis grabbed her forearm, tugging it towards himself. He looked mad, impatient, flustered. Redness crept up his neck to his cheeks as he gripped her arm tighter.

“I’m going to find a way out of this for us,” he said firmly. “I promise.”

She leaned into his touch. She wanted to believe him, believe that there was a way out of her misery. But good things didn’t happen to girls like her, she thought.

Two days later, Ominis entertained a guest for the first time that summer. She had just descended the stairs, trudging into the dining room for breakfast, when she saw a full head of wavy brown hair sitting across from Ominis at the table.

“Good morning,” Ominis said cheerfully, sipping his tea. “Thought you’d never wake up.”

“Hello,” she said curiously, grabbing a plate from the buffet table. “Sebastian is here.”

“Right, I am.” Sebastian grinned. He winked at her– ever the flirt, she thought–as she scooped eggs onto her plate.

“And what are you doing here?” She asked nonchalantly, sinking into the chair across from Ominis’s best friend. Her host graciously flicked his wand, pouring her the perfect cup of coffee.

Sebastian leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I’m here to troubleshoot your little problem.” he said cheekily. “I heard you’re in a bit of a pickle, and Ominis here has recruited me to help.”

She looked at Ominis; she knew he could sense her gaze. His cheeks were tinged pink, eyelashes fluttering as he coughed. “Sebastian is a master of literature, specifically spellbooks, and he’s dealt with his fair share of dark magic. Perhaps he knows the text your father is searching for.”

She bit down on her lip, her heart doing a flip as she felt a glimmer of hope. “Would you help?”

“Of course I would,” Sebastian said, mouth full of bacon. “Anything to make Ominis happy.”

“Chew with your mouth closed, Sebastian.” Ominis snapped. “Honestly, you still eat like a heathen. Where are your manners?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, grinning again at her. “He’s been like this since we were eleven,” he swallowed thickly, reaching for the coffee next to his plate. “Like he’s got a wand stuck up his–”

“Sebastian,” Ominis growled.

She held her fingertips up to her mouth, chuckling against them. The sight was something to behold–Sebastian was grinning broadly, while Ominis was endlessly flustered. She quite liked the Ominis that Sebastian brought out. Despite the scowl that graced his face, there was something else behind him. It was the way he sat, the slight slouch in his shoulders, a casualness that she never got to see in him.

Perhaps this was his true personality , she thought. It would make sense that it was only drawn out by his best friend.

“Can you tell me more stories about Ominis?” She asked, blowing the steam rolling off her coffee. “I’d love to hear them.”

“O-ho, I would love to tell them,” Sebastian snickered. “Where should I start–perhaps our first day of potions class ever, where our professor didn’t realize Ominis was blind. And little Om was too afraid to tell him. What was it that he asked you to do?”

Ominis groaned. “Stir the sleeping draught until it turned purple.”

Sebastian roared with laughter, slapping the dining table. “Nearly blew up the classroom, this one. And Professor Sharp was aghast that you didn’t admit you were blind.”

“At least he never bugged me to do class demonstrations again.” Ominis chuckled.

Sebastian’s presence in the house added a much needed levity after Marvolo’s visit. The three of them walked down to the shoreline, and back up to the house; Sebastian told colorful stories of their years at school, about their peculiar friend, and his work at a book shop. Every now and then Ominis would interject with corrections, his arm tightening around hers as they walked.

They eventually meandered back up to the grounds and through the garden. Ominis chose to walk ahead, leaving Sebastian and his houseguest behind to chat.

“You’ve done the impossible,” Sebastian breathed. “You gave Ominis Gaunt a green thumb.”

She smiled, kicking a pebble off the path. “He couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Trust me, he was. Killed three venomous tentacula plants in one class period,” Sebastian snorted.

“You two really are best friends.” She murmured, her hands clasped behind her back. “You bring out a side of him I’ve never seen.”

“So do you. You’ve known him for what, a month and a half?” Sebastian tilted his head. “And yet he seems so comfortable around you. It’s been a while since he’s smiled like that.”

She blushed, dipping her head. “He’s just happy to be here, back at the house.”

“You don’t understand,” Sebastian muttered. “He wouldn’t ask me to do this for just anyone. Ominis likes you.”

“So he said you’ve got experience with dark magic,” she interjected, changing the subject away from Ominis. “But you’re a book shop clerk.”

“I wasn’t always a book shop clerk,” Sebastian offered. “I had pretty bad marks my last two years of school, and struggled to find employment. Eventually I got a job with an artifacts dealer in Knockturn Alley, but I didn’t realize what I was truly getting myself into.” He held a rose in his hands, fingers ghosting over the petals. “Ominis and our dearest friend did their best to guide me out of it, secure gainful employment.”

“The girl,” she echoed. “Ominis told me about her.”

“What about her?” Sebastian turned, ears perked.

“That you’re in love with her,” she said coyly. “That you flirt with those other girls because you miss her.”

Sebastian turned a lovely shade of pink, looking down at his feet. “Ominis is never wrong,” he sighed. “The truest, most faithful friend a man could ask for. I’d do anything for him,” he knocked his shoulders into hers. “And any friend of his, is a friend of mine.”

The two started walking on the path again, gravel crunching under their feet.

“I will do my best to help your father,” Sebastian offered. “I have plans to meet with him later this week. Was a pain to arrange so Marvolo doesn’t find out.”

“I appreciate you, I do.” she put a hand on Sebastian’s forearm. “It may be in vain, but it is nice to know we’re exhausting all options.”

“Ahem.”

She turned her head to see Ominis standing a few feet away, his hands clasped behind his back. Even though he couldn’t see her, she still jumped slightly away from Sebastian, pulling her hand off his arm.

“Not telling her any more embarrassing stories about me, are you?” Ominis tilted his head.

“Of course not,” Sebastian chuffed.

Dinner was lively with Sebastian attending, but something seemed off with Ominis. She didn’t miss the way he turned down the wine, or how his laughter seemed hollow. The thought bothered her as she prepared for bed. She’d set a decanter of water and a glass onto her bedside table, along with one of the saucy novels she’d stolen from the library. Now sitting at the vanity, she took the pins out of her hair, letting the curls cascade down her back.

There was a light rap on the door; likely Ominis, bidding her goodnight as he always did. She laced the collar of her nightgown as she walked to the door, swinging it open. A gasp escaped her mouth as she looked at the blond. He looked utterly disheveled; his blond hair was a messy mop on his head, and his robe was untied. Ominis’s sleep shirt was unbuttoned down to his narrow waist. She gulped, staring at his chest, yearning to touch it.

“May I come in?” Ominis murmured.

“Of course,” she whispered, opening the door wider.

Ominis slid in, pushing the door shut behind him. He walked around the room, fingers brushing on the bookshelf, desk, and windowsill as he strutted. Ominis eventually settled by the windowsill, tapping his fingers against a wooden sailboat that had been perched on the ledge.

“Did you enjoy Sebastian’s company today?” Ominis asked quietly.

She gulped, walking into the center of the room. “I did. He’s refreshing to have around.”

“Do you find him handsome?” Ominis’s voice was sharp.

“He is.” she said slowly. “But he’s not my type.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing in here,” Ominis said sheepishly, his sharp demeanor suddenly disappearing. “But I wanted…I guess I just needed to know.”

She blushed, tiptoeing towards him. “Were you jealous again?”

Ominis gulped. “Yes. I regretted leaving you two in the garden together.” he admitted.

“Do you think me so wicked that I would change my affections so quickly?” she asked, putting a hand on his pale chest. He was soft yet solid, unmarked except for a few moles on his chest.

“You could never be wicked,” Ominis gasped at her cold touch. “I–I don’t know what overtook me. I asked him here to help you, and then I became jealous that you laughed at him.” he confessed.

Her hand trickled from his chest to his stomach, fingers dancing lightly on his muscle. “You make me laugh,” she whispered. “That amongst many things you make me feel.”

Ominis’s hands went to her hips, holding her steady. “You–you make me feel a lot of things I haven’t felt in a very long time.” he admitted. “And it frightens me.”

“Is that why you pull away?” she looked up at his opal eyes, wishing he could see her. “Sometimes, you’re an entirely different person. Cold, almost. But I know it’s not you.”

Ominis leaned his forehead down to touch hers. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t mean to. I’ve been thinking a lot about the morning on the beach–when you asked if I’d want to marry you–”

“We don’t have to talk about it.” she interjected, not wanting to hear his rationalizations.

“But we do,” Ominis strained. “I…I don’t want to marry anyone. I want to die alone, kill this awful lineage. End a branch of the Gaunts, so no one gets hurt.” he rambled. “But if I did marry, I’d want to marry someone smart. Someone good with their hands, who thinks for themselves. I think…I think if I could, I’d marry someone like you.”

She pressed her lips against his.

Ominis groaned into her mouth, his hands tightening their grip on her hips. She snaked her hands up his chest, wrapping her hands behind his neck to draw him closer. There was an urgency in the kiss they hadn’t shared before–perhaps it was because they knew their kisses were numbered.

“I’m sorry,” Ominis gasped, pulling away to press his forehead against hers again. “It’s improper of me–”

“I don’t care,” she complained. “If I’m going to be carted off to the highest bidder, I want to feel something, Ominis. I want to feel you.” She raked her fingertips against his bare skin, and he shuddered.

“But I said I wanted to do it properly,” Ominis hissed when she pressed her lips to his throat. “I should be taking you out, dancing with you, showing you off–yet we’re stuck here.” he gasped. “I love this house, but Merlin, how I wish I could take you somewhere else.” Despite his protests, his hands remained on her body, sinking lower to grasp her bottom. He squeezed, letting out a garbled moan as her hips pressed against his.

“You said I make you feel things…let me make you feel good,” she urged, turning him to sit on the bed. Ominis bounced when he hit the mattress, leaning back on his elbows. He pushed his hair back as gulped. She kneeled down between his legs, nudging them apart.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” Ominis croaked.

She laughed, pressing a kiss to his clothed knee. “You don’t know that,” she teased.

“I do,” Ominis said darkly. “Merlin knows, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“May I?” she asked, her fingers tucking into the waistband of his pajamas.

Ominis nodded, clearing his throat as he helped her pull his pajama pants down. His cock sprang forward, slapping against his stomach.

“You don’t have to,” Ominis said softly as her nimble fingers touched him. She gave his length an exploratory squeeze, Ominis’s head falling back as she adjusted her pressure.

“I want to,” she breathed. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his weeping tip.

Ominis let out a wanton moan as she took the tip of his cock in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the head, making him shudder.

“You–yes, keep doing that,” Ominis rasped.

She took his noises as an indication she was working in the right direction. With one hand wrapped around his length, the other resting on his thigh, she worked more of him into her mouth. Ominis’s hands flew to her hair, petting her head as she swallowed around him.

“Fuck, you’re doing so well,” Ominis praised her. “I only came–I only came in to say goodnight, but I’ve dreamt of this happening for so long. Gods, I’m so glad I did it.” he babbled.

She released him, her mouth letting out a pop as she replaced her mouth with her hand, stroking him. “Am I doing it right?” she murmured.

“It-it’s your first time,” Ominis groaned, more of a statement than a question. “You’ve never done this before.”

“Never,” she breathed, pressing a hot kiss to his length. “You’re the first.”

“You’re the most amazing woman in the world.” Ominis stuttered the compliment, fingers tangling in her curls. “So beautiful–I feel like I’ve gone to heaven. I need to taste you, I need to have you after this.”

She laughed, taking him into her mouth once again. She couldn’t help but glance up at him as she bobbed her mouth up and down his length; Ominis had never looked so pretty, coming undone at her ministrations, compliments spilling from his mouth. She could feel him leaking at the tip, curiously rolling her tongue over the salty essence. Ominis bucked his hips at that, trying to push her off.

“I’m going to–I’m not going to last–” he stuttered, his hands gripping the sheets.

She relented, swirling her tongue over him once more. Dipping her chin, taking as much more of his cock as she could, she hollowed her cheeks around him. Ominis gasped, his warm release spilling into her mouth.

“Fuck,” Ominis sputtered, falling back against the bed.

She sat up, wiping remnants of his seed from her lips with her sleeve. “Was that okay?” she asked shyly.

Ominis coughed as he sat up, chuckling. “That was amazing,” he breathed. “You didn’t have to do that.” he held out his hand, pulling her towards him. She shuffled on her knees, falling into his arms.

“I wanted to,” she explained, brushing his hair out of his face. “I guess…I guess I just wanted to feel in control of something.” she confessed.

Ominis was silent for a moment, pinching the fabric of her nightgown. “I understand that,” he sighed. “I am sorry for all of this. For everything my brother is putting your family through.”

“I don’t really want to talk about it now,” she reached for the water glass on the side of her bed, taking a quick sip. “Now that you’re here, I just want to spend time with you.” She was embarrassed at the shyness in her voice.

Ominis gave her a soft smile, tightening his grasp on her. “I’m very fond of you. I hope you know that.”

She knew he couldn’t see her smile falter; her heart fluttered as he said it. Fondness was merely a scrap, a word Ominis could say in lieu of love. She would take it, she thought. For now, fondness was enough.

Ominis played with the ribbon at her nightgown’s collar. “So, about being in control,” he trailed off, pressing his lips together as his hands traced down her body. “If you have any thoughts…”

She rolled her eyes, biting back a smile as his hand touched her thigh. “I do. Primarily, you taking your shirt off.”

Ominis shrugged off his pajama shirt, now fully naked. Her breath caught as the flickering candlelight illuminated his body; he looked like one of the stone statues carved in the garden, perfectly chiseled, a work of art.

“At your command,” Ominis smirked. “Anything else?”

If she hadn’t been aroused from Ominis’s mewling earlier, the lazy drawl of his voice as he waited upon her orders had her soaked. She slid her legs apart, and Ominis understood the message. He positioned himself between her, pushing her nightgown over her hips.

“Nothing underneath,” he breathed, pressing a kiss to her hip bone. “Were you hoping I’d visit?” he teased.

“Every night,” she gulped.

“What would you have me do?” Ominis murmured against her skin.

“Kiss me,” she commanded breathlessly, propping herself up on her elbows. “And you know where, don’t get cheeky.”

“Whatever you desire,” Ominis smiled, diving between her legs.

She woke to an empty bed the following morning.

Ominis had fully satiated her appetite the evening prior, minus the full act. He had caught the way her breath had changed when he laid his full weight upon her, his length touching her entrance, and the way she’d frozen. Ominis immediately withdrew himself.

We’ll wait, he had said. It was a firm decision on his end, to pull his undergarments back on, and to lay in the bed next to her, a thin pillow separating them. And instead of leaving, going back to his own chambers, Ominis stayed. He stayed in her bed, his nimble fingers tangled with hers as they spoke. He was good at keeping her mind off her predicament, bringing up stories of his adventures with Sebastian, adding pertinent details to all of the stories Sebastian had told her that afternoon.

“Sebastian said you’d killed three venomous tentaculas in one class,” she laughed. “Is that true?”

Ominis rolled his eyes. “Yes, but it wasn’t all my fault. Anne was my partner–”

“Anne?” she asked. Both Sebastian and Ominis had brought up their friend many times before, the one with the fancy magic, but she had a different name.

“Sebastian’s sister.” Ominis’s mouth snapped shut, lips falling into a hard line.

She drummed her fingers against his stomach. “I didn’t know he had a sister,” she uttered.

“She’s…she passed away.” Ominis’s voice had faltered. Something about the tone made her realize it was a difficult subject. “Anyways, about the damn plants…”

She listened to Ominis’s stories until she fell asleep. When she woke, she patted the side of the bed he’d been in, realizing he was gone. He had to have slipped out early in the morning, the warmth from his body long gone. Again, it felt as if Ominis was withdrawing–it drove her mad. One moment he was begging at her door, yearning for her touch. The next, he was gone, merely a ghost from the night before. She angrily dressed herself, ready to stomp down to the dining room for breakfast.

She took the back staircase, gliding her hands across the stone walls like Ominis. Her steps faltered as she heard voices echoing from the kitchen, pressing herself against the stone wall to eavesdrop.

“It seems like you had a fun night,” Sebastian teased. “Slipping out of her bedroom, you naughty thing.”

“Shut up, Sebastian.” Ominis barked.

She swallowed thickly at his sharp jab; the bite to his tone hurt her more than it could ever hurt Sebastian.

“I’m only joking,” Sebastian laughed. “She’s a nice girl, and I can see why you like her.”

“Do you have enough food for your travels?” Ominis asked, completely ignoring his best friend’s quip. “I can have Golly pack some more bread–”

“Ominis,” Sebastian interjected. “You can talk about your feelings, you know.”

She inched closer to the doorway, her heart beating out of her chest as she listened. If only she had her damn wand, she could cast a disillusionment charm and get closer.

“My feelings are a mess, how’s that?” Ominis groaned. She heard the scraping of chairs; Ominis was probably sitting at the table. “I’m brought here to watch over her, and I let myself fall for her. And now, I have to sit and watch as my brother sends complete knobs to bid over her.” She could picture the look on his face, his wrinkled nose.

“You really like this girl,” Sebastian observed. “The two of you made me promise no dark magic, and yet you’ve asked me to dive into my old contacts just to help her father. Not that I’m mad–I’m glad I can be of use to you, you know that.”

“Anne would hate me for it.” Ominis muttered.

Another chair scraped the floor–Sebastian, likely sitting across from him. “She would’ve been happy that you found someone to care for,” Sebastian echoed. “You weren’t meant to be alone, Ominis. You’re too good to be alone.”

“I’m quite fond of her,” Ominis murmured. “And even if it’s not me…she deserves a chance at real happiness, Sebastian.”

“You know you deserve happiness too, right, Om?” Sebastian asked. “You must stop punishing yourself for your name, for your family. You’re the best person I know.”

“Just do whatever you can,” Ominis said, his voice strained. “Please, Sebastian. That's all I ask.”

“Anything for you, my brother.” Sebastian assured him.

She stayed frozen against the wall, her heart beating out of her chest. Perhaps it was the hope that Sebastian Sallow could find some solution for her and save her family. Or perhaps it was the hope that Ominis Gaunt felt something more than fondness for her, enough to ask his best friend to delve into dark magic again to save her.

Regardless, the hope would be enough to sustain her.

#ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #writing-intheundercroft #ominis gaunt x reader #ominis gaunt x oc #ominis gaunt smut #one of these days I will let ominis have a happy unstressed chapter

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