Chapter 12
Golden rays of sunlight seeped through the soaring gothic windows, gilding the disarrayed infirmary with a serene glow. Inside, a cacophony of Alpha discord echoed, their anxiety-riddled growls etching notes of unrest on the charged atmosphere. The scent of impending ruts from three dozen or so Alphas infused the air with a cloying, and somewhat ominous, musk.
The iron bed frame squeaked, crisp sheets ruffled softy as Prim shifted on the cot. Her fingers twisted in her lap. She avoided the eyes of curious onlookers that dared to glance beyond their privacy screens.
“Calm yourself, Primrose, we won’t be here much longer,” Ominis said, his gentle hand settling on the back of her head, warm as it smoothed down her hair to rest possessively at her nape. Ominis stood tall and rigid beside her, his expression clouded with intensity. He was an unsettling yet reassuring presence hovering over her.
"By Merlin's beard," Nurse Blainey’s voice, winded but resolute, pierced the chaos. A hint of relief colored her tone. "I'm half-glad that Sallow girl had the sense to take herself off." She cast a sidelong glance at Prim, the corners of her mouth tight. "When you came in escorted by a pair of Alpha, I must admit I was on edge. Our understanding of the Omega designation remains woefully underdeveloped. Add a potential love triangle to that equation, and we're navigating uncharted waters as far as heats are concerned..."
Nurse Blainey's heels clacked authoritatively on the cold stone floor as she bustled closer. A swift wave of her wand erected a barrier of silence around them, quieting their conversation from the curious students beyond.
Blinking in surprise, Prim scrambled for a coherent reply, her cheeks blazing like twin beacons, "I-I mean, Anne and I... we're close, yes, but... never in that way—"
"The idea is preposterous, indeed." Ominis intervened with a dismissive flick of his hand. A sigh of relief whooshed from Prim, grateful for his decisive intervention. "Any fool with a nose can tell you belong to me. Pay nurse Blainey’s words no mind, she’s having a laugh at your expense." His tone was as icy as his countenance, but under the circumstances, Prim couldn't fault him for it. She couldn’t fault him for anything- not when his thumb rubbed tantalizing circles on the back of her neck...
Despite his frosty demeanor towards everyone else, Ominis reserved a gentleness solely for Prim, a kindness cloaked beneath his stern exterior. Each soft word and caring touch from him stirred a warmth in the pit of her stomach. Prim secretly adored that he growled at every Alpha and Beta that dared meander too close to their cot.
“Can you blame me for a little mischief after all of this?” Sweeping an arm around her infirmary, Nurse Blainey quirked a brow, shooting Prim a look.
"I certainly can if your insinuating this chaos is in any way my Omega's fault." Fingers squeezed her neck a little too tight. “The fault for this pandemonium lies solely with the headmaster and staff for neglecting to prepare Hogwarts accordingly,” Ominis said, clearly at his limit for polite conversation. “I find it ridiculous that you think Primrose, a student who hasn't set foot in the halls of Hogwarts before today, should shoulder any responsibility for this mess-”
“Your right, your right! No harm intended, just trying to lighten the mood…”
“Nurse Blainey, I’d rather keep our stay here brief, for obvious reasons. I am in no mood for tomfoolery, so if you don’t mind…”
“Ominis, there’s no need to be rude,” Prim said, tugging at his sleeve. He huffed, hand falling from her neck. Prim mourned the loss of their connection.
“I’ve long met my daily limit for socialization, Primrose.” he crossed his arms, long fingers rhythmically tapping his bicep. “It’s been a trying day and I’d like to get us somewhere safe to rest.”
“I-I’d like that too.” Prim’s neck prickled with heat and a shy smile pulled at her lips. “It’s been a long day.”
"So it has," he said, a hint of finality in his tone as he turned toward the nurse with a scowl.
Nurse Blainey's lips pursed, forming a delicate 'O' as she exhaled, "We'll be quick. I need to free up this cot soon anyhow." She ruffled her parchment, eyes scanning as she spoke. "Omega heats... Well, there are not enough Omegas about to yield substantial research..." Her words trailed off into a murmur until her gaze lifted to meet Prim's, brows drawn tight in sympathy. "Not to worry, we'll figure this out together-" The lines etching her forehead deepened as her hand lifted tentatively towards Prim.
A grating growl, as feral as a wildcat, erupted from Ominis. Like a spring-loaded trap, the nurse's hand jerked back, her fingers curling defensively inward as if the blind Slytherin might bite. "Easy, Mr. Gaunt," she admonished, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I meant her no harm, I intended only to comfort."
"I suggest you restrict your touch to medical necessity," Ominis countered, his voice a quiet storm, stirring a whirlwind of emotions in its wake. Prim blinked, taken aback. His blatant disregard for authority was unexpected, yet, there was a certain charm about it.
Her eyes traced his profile, drinking him in for what had to be the hundredth time since taking a seat in the infirmary.
He was a lovely contradiction- a hardened exterior juxtaposed with an undercurrent of softness. The tension etched into his posture, his brows knitted together - all of it bespoke a man grappling with newfound responsibilities. "I may be blind," he remarked, an iron note to his tone, "but I certainly don’t require help to comfort my Omega."
MyOmega. The public claim resonated pleasantly with her.
It had only been a day since they met, but it was true. Everything in her ached to be possessed by him, her alpha. Was it the heat hormones, the yearning of her Omega, or merely the raw desires of a lonely girl that clung so desperately and shamelessly to him?
It was likely a bit of all three if Prim were honest…
"My apologies, Mr. Gaunt." Nurse Blainey said in an unsubtly placating tone, her eyebrows arched and a hint of amusement twitched at the corners of her lips. Prim liked the older woman. Errant chestnut strands escaped her austere bun, framing her crooked nurse's cap in a wild corona, a visual testament to the atypical chaos she now faced. "Forgive the blunt nature of this conversation," she continued, the restless glint in her eyes, "I can’t imagine this will be easy for…someone of delicate sensibilities to hear, but as you can see…Ehem, tell… I don’t have the luxury of mincing words..." Her gaze swept the infirmary.
Heat crawled up Prim’s cheeks and she turned away from the nurse.
No matter Ominis’s venomous protests, this was Prim's fault.
The stinging scent of Alpha's presence magnified, seeping into every corner of the room as more moaning, sweat-sheened students stumbled into the infirmary.
A silver lining in all this was that Prim’s tryst with Ominis in the Undercroft had the desired effect. The newest patients hovered by the heavy wooden entrance, unsettled, as if respecting a boundary they could not see. None spared Prim more than a fleeting, curious glance, before tearing their eyes away.
Prim’s nostrils flared at the pungent scent.
The other students hadn’t smelled so strong in the great hall. Her fingers twitched, the urge to shield her face from the offending aroma was a fight she losing. Nerves crept up her spine and the sudden urge to bolt under the cot and hide plagued Prim.
DamnedOmega instincts,constantlyurginghertodothestrangest thingsatthemostrandommoments...
A shrill squeak of the metal bed frame announced Ominis's movement as he took a seat beside her. The solid heat of his thigh pressed firmly against her own, uncaring of the nurse's watchful gaze. All sense of propriety had long since been thrown out the window. Prim couldn't be brought to care as his scent plumed and wrapped around her like a protective shield.
The taut lines of Prim’s shoulders gradually eased and she slumped into his side, bone-weary.
“Thanks,” Prim whispered, Ominis nodded, separating her clasped fingers and taking her hand in his.
"Then, by all means," Ominis gestured expansively, the sweeping motion exuding a supreme self-assuredness only those born to command could muster. His tone, simmering with a restrained irritation, cut through the charged silence. “Carry on, Nurse Blainey.”
During their summer together, Anne had mentioned referring to Ominis as ‘M’laird’ in an affectionate jab. Prim hadn't quite understood the joke until she was in his presence. Ominis was undoubtedly a formidable entity, the day’s strain and his impending rut bringing out his less-than-stellar aspects. He'd been curt, entitled, petulant, and downright hostile to all he encountered since departing the undercroft...all except Prim. As the humor of the situation struck her, Prim muffled a snicker against his arm. No doubt she was the only soul in Hogwarts who found his current mood charming.
Nurse Blainey’s brows knit together and she began speaking in a professorial tone, "When an Omega experiences heat, it's a moment of intense fertility, marked by an overwhelming surge of desire, typically incited by physical contact, sexual stimulation to be exact, with a highly compatible Alpha."
Nurse Blainey's gaze slithered to Prim, her words subtly hanging in the air between them. "Might I presume, dear Miss Cromwell, that you found Mr. Gaunt's scent...compelling? Only a true match, one with exponentially high compatibility could have triggered your heat...All unmated alpha would be drawn to you regardless of your feelings, but only a few would have a similar effect on you.” The edges of her mouth curled into an enigmatic smirk, "And I do trust you managed to steal away to some clandestine corner before...stimulating each other. It's not uncommon for such episodes to unfold in public, most cases before formal introductions have even been made…Oh, my. Omega pairings are such a passionate thing, some of these accounts...Oh, my...There is one where a compatible couple met at a ball and ended up ravishing each other in the coat room of all places!" Blainey fanned her reddened cheeks with an errant hand, her words painting a vivid tableau that would fluster even ladies of experience.
"G-goodness!" Prim's eyes nearly leaped from their sockets at the visual. Ominis, bless his restraint, had ensured their first intimate moments hadn't played out on the floor of the bustling hallway.
Prim couldn't help the tantalizing thought of him attending to her most primal needs in the open— how she might have shamelessly begged him for it…
Think of something else, anything else! Prim focused on Ominis's scent so her lecherous body wouldn't give away her train of thought.
Oranges. Crisp and tart with his annoyance, Ominis still smelled pleasant.
Ma’s words resurfaced in Prim's mind, ‘Your nose knows.’ A knowing smile unfurled on her lips at the memory. Her heart had always danced to the tune of citrus, the scent, the taste, she could live off of oranges. That her Alpha radiated a scent she'd always favored pleased Prim to no end.
Her budding smile withered under Ominis’s sour frown. His previously placid features now bore a stormy scowl, casting a shadow over Prim's sunny disposition, and stirring an unsettling brew of unease in her.
“You mean to suggest that physical contact with an Alpha...a compatible one, could incite her...heat?” Ominis’s question bore a precarious tone, his brows furrowing, lips taut in a hard line of uncertainty. “Suppose...hypothetically mind you, suppose that another Alpha had triggered her heat, and I merely stole her away. How would that play out?”
“With so little empirical evidence at our disposal, it’s difficult to say with certainty," Nurse Blainey began, her tone weaving a thread of caution into her words. "However, instinct would have led an Omega, Prim, to fiercely defend her chosen Alpha, to repel the intruder. She would have made known and fought if she had scented an appropriate mate. It’s a matter of fundamental compatibility — settling for anything less could wreak havoc on an Omega's mental and physical well-being. Recorded instances of forced relations between an unmated Omega and an incompatible Alpha culminate in disastrous consequences — self-destructive behavior and a staggering number of miscarriages. Such dire outcomes necessitated protective laws for Omegas. It would be obvious and do not doubt that the faculty would have intervened by now if such were the case."
Ominis's concerns dawned on Prim as a fraction of tension left his features.
Sebastian had touched Prim well before Ominis made an appearance.
"Regardless of how we found ourselves in this situation," she murmured into his jacket, her voice an intimate whisper meant only for his ears, "Your scent, your voice, everything about you…If you and Sebastian stood before me side-by-side, you would have been my choice."
His features softened, melting into an appreciative smile. Her heart-fluttering words were a spark, igniting a tender glow in his sightless gaze.
With a familiar gentleness, he disentangled his hand from hers and cradled the nape of her neck, cool fingers against her heated skin. The sensation sent warmth rippling down her spine, culminating in a sweet chirp of pleasure.
Their intimate exchange didn't go unnoticed by Nurse Blainey, who observed them with quiet approval, the corners of her mouth tugging into a smile as she smoothed the wrinkles from her apron.
"Given what I see, I'm rather relieved that isn't an issue. But you must understand, Miss Cromwell, your body is about to embark on a series of changes." Prim shifted, a flush creeping onto her cheeks at the frankness of the nurse's words. Ominis, instinctively attuned to Prim, soothed her discomfort with gentle, circular strokes against her neck.
"You'll experience increased pheromone production, hormonal shifts that signify your readiness to conceive. These changes can bring on physical discomfort, heightened sensitivity, loss of inhibition, mood swings, severe cramps if left unattended, not to mention increased...lubrication." At Prim's wince, she softened her tone. "It may be disconcerting, but it's a natural response for an Omega, and from my understanding, your Alpha will enjoy it. Just remember to stay hydrated."
"O-oh, no..." Prim cringed, circling an arm around Ominis’s waist and turning fully towards him. So embarrassing. Ominis huffed over her and Prim imagined his amused smirk as he played with the fine hair at the base of her scalp.
“Oh, yes. There are physical changes as well.” Oh, no. Prim thought her face might explode for the amount of blood rushing to her cheeks. “Your body will get more…curvaceous…mainly in the hips, rear, and breasts, but don’t be alarmed. This is for childbearing and enticing your Alpha into breeding you, but seeing as your Alpha can’t…ehem, well…”
"And how am I meant to not be alarmed by this information?" Prim tensed, groaning under the weight of humiliation.
“Not to worry, darling.” Ominis’s said, bending over, his whisper tickling Prim's ear, “I find you enticing enough without sight, I shall breed you aplenty.” He brazenly declared, deliberately misinterpreting Prim's response.
“Ominis, I get enough teasing from Anne,” She tried to pull away, but his firm grip on her neck prevented her from moving too far. “I don’t need any from you!” He hummed, straitening, a pleasant smile pulling at his lips.
Pausing, the nurse turned towards Ominis, her gaze sharp, "I gather, Mr. Gaunt, you will be looking after Primrose during her heat?"
A quiet moment stretched between them before Prim broke it with a hesitant, "You will, won't you?" Her gaze flitted to Ominis's stony facade, her lower lip trapped nervously between her teeth.
“I beg your pardon, Nurse Blainey.” Ominis said, cheeks heating, “I’m afraid I was preoccupied. What was it you were saying?”
“You will be accompanying Miss Cromwell during her heat, will you not?”
"Indeed, I will," he confirmed, his voice brimming with a steadfast resolve that left no room for doubt.
"Excellent," the nurse murmured, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. "The experience can be rather intense for an Omega, Miss Cromwell, handling it alone I mean. But with a capable Alpha by your side to provide support and cater to your needs, we can postpone a more detailed discussion. There is required paperwork, we must formalize your prospective union and give you authority to use the Alpha voice and such, simple formalities, I assure you they won't take much time to fill out..."
Ominis's pleasant mood soured at the prospect of a longer wait.
"There is more?" Ominis asked. “It’s been an entire day, we’ve missed every meal to include supper, my Omega and I are hungry, and I’ll have you know that donning a wrinkled morning coat this late in the evening is most certainly a fashion faux pas decent wizards of class tend to avoid!”
Prim shuddered, battling to stifle a burgeoning fit of laughter at his ridiculous outburst. Clearly, being blind had no bearing on the fashion sense of a true gentleman.
"Please, Mr.Gaunt, keep your composure," the nurse instructed, summoning a blank parchment from her stack and an enchanted quill from her apron pocket. They floated in mid-air, quiet magic commanding their movements. The quill tapped the parchment, poised in anticipation, ready to capture the nurse’s dictation. "First, we must perform some tests."
"Get on with it then!" He said, a strange hissing tone underlying his voice. Nurse Blainey blanched, eyes widening as she jerked her wand from her apron.
With a deft flick of her wand, an effulgent radiance sparked at its tip. Nurse Blainey manipulated it with ease bred from years of practice, her wand carving the air with fluid, measured arcs. A string of diagnostic incantations bathed Prim and Ominis, a spectral blue luminescence twirling around them before seeping into their flesh. The aftermath was a curious, tingling sensation, reminiscent of an invigorating mint bath.
Left to its own devices, the quill sprung to life, its nib scratching across the parchment with a nimble grace, faithfully transcribing the outcomes of the diagnostics for further examination.
"Now, the results will require a moment to transcribe onto parchment," Nurse Blainey said, tucking her wand back into her apron pocket and shooting nervous glances at Ominis. “I observed the bite mark on your neck, Miss Cromwell. While I commend you, Mr.Gaunt, for your admirable self-control, that is decidedly not a mating bite. I can surmise how you two might deduce that this variant of scenting and marking would suffice – and for most, it will – but there are plenty of perceptive and shrewd students within these walls who could see through your ruse and exploit it. Normally, an Alpha and Omega pair would instantly mark one another. If you both are comfortable with each other, I would urge doing just that – or else, part ways now, so that Prim can find a companion who is willing.”
“It’s a complex matter; Primrose and I haven't had the opportunity to sit and discuss-”
“Such matters aren't typically ‘discussed’, per se.” The nurse frowned, her earlier trepidation vanished as she planted her hands on her hips, akin to a mother chastising her child. “I can't fathom how you two can be so evidently bonded yet resist properly marking each other. No good will come of it. I recommend trusting your instincts on this, as there are plenty of Alphas at Hogwarts who would be more than willing to intervene. You don’t have the luxury of conventional courting."
"Thank you for your frank assessment, Nurse Blainey, but I won't force Primrose into a perpetual commitment. She'll have a say in this, even if it's the death of me." His voice thrummed with a ferocity that threatened to shatter the silencio bubble surrounding them.
“Ominis…” Prim’s heart throbbed at his unwavering care.
“Very well, I hope you take my words to heart but I will not press further.” She said, pulling the floating parchment from the air as the quill slowed to a stop. She scanned the parchment eagerly, eyes flitting before widening with alarm. “Oh, my.”
“Oh, my? What does that mean?” Prim straightened, retreating from Ominis's soothing warmth, “Is that a good ‘oh, my?’ or a bad one?”
“Your heat is expected to last a week.” she announced in her nurse's cadence, measured and reassuring.
Prim gasped into her hands.
"A full week? An entire seven days?" she asked through splayed fingers.
“A standard duration for your inaugural heat, your alpha’s presence should cut that time in half. We will start you on a regiment of suppressants after and that will lessen the time to approximately two days. Your…contraceptive potion was well made and will last you until after your heat but I recommend regular dosage, you can see our potions master for a recipe-”
“No need, I will tend her suppressants and will start taking the contraceptive myself.”
“Very well, but until you both sport a mating bite I insist you both take the potion in front of me moving forward. Miss Cromwell, you will have scheduled visits to my office, every Monday evening, until you are properly mated, do you understand?”
“Yes ma’am.” She nodded, dutifully at the nurse's question.
“Very good Miss Cromwell. Oh, and you have about two days before your heat begins anew," Nurse Blaney's announcement hung heavily in the air. The loud bustling of the infirmary quieten in that moment, making way for a breath held too long. Abouttwodaysuntilherheatstarts? “An unusually long length of time for a lull, but considering the other stressors in your life it’s not a shocking turn of events. Your other lulls should last no more than a few hours once your heat has reached its peak…”
Time, that slippery, elusive creature, became something tangible, counting down the hours with the beat of Prim’s heart. Her gaze flitted to Ominis, his own eyes widening in shock as the implications of the nurse's words seeped in. His placid demeanor was laced with horror.
“Ominis, are you okay?”
"Your Alpha, he's already entered his rut," Nurse Blainey's voice sliced through the air, her expression empathetic yet firm. “He’s currently on suppressants, but those will rapidly lose efficacy given the circumstances. It’s truly unfortunate your cycles didn’t align, but they will the more time you two spend together or after you exchange mating bites, whichever happens first.”
A heavy knot formed in Prim's stomach as the magnitude of their situation hit her.
Whatwasshetodo?
"He used that suppressant potion, why can't he use it during his whole rut?"
"The potion merely controls symptoms, and even then there is the risk of overdosing. An excess of suppressant potions can have a permanent impact on the body."
"Oh, Ominis!"
"I'll endure, Primrose. I've withstood many ruts in the past," He intoned stoically, "but I won’t be able to safeguard you once my rut reaches its peak. We'll have to devise a conducive strategy, possibly have Anne-"
“C-could I stay?... To- to assist you, I mean?” Prim asked, her timidity amplified in the presence of their audience and her burgeoning understanding of what such intimacy entailed. “If it's not too much to ask?”
“Nurse Blainey, could we get a moment of privacy?” He asked but the query resonated more like an order, but Nurse Blainey acquiesced, sauntering away with the promise of returning momentarily. Ominis swiveled towards Prim, not fully meeting her gaze. His hand resumed its comforting position on her nape and she beamed. “Primrose, nothing would give me greater pleasure, but I fear I would lack the gentleness you deserve, and despite Anne’s japes, you remain a virgin…er, technically.”
“I-I am?” She must have missed something, after all they did Prim was certain she carried the title of ‘experienced woman’... “But, but you? It was…I was sure that…I might have a few additional questions for Nurse Blainey when she returns.”
Ominis unleashed a hearty guffaw, his eyebrows arched nearly into his hairline. Absent the protective silencio bubble enveloping them, his laughter would have reverberated across the bustling infirmary. She beamed, thrilled to see the familiar mirth return to his charming face.
“Ehem, we did a fair amount, and I certainly relieved you of the evidence of your virtue…But remember when you…Took me in hand?”
"Took you in hand?" They'd held hands but moments ago, of course, Prim remembered that.
"When..." His voice trailed off, eyes widening before narrowing in her direction. A smirk split his narrow features as he leaned down, "After I tasted your cunt, when you grasped the length of me, my cock? Do you recall now, darling?"
Prim sputtered, the memory burned in Prim’s mind, the weight of him in her hand, smooth alabaster perfection, the reddened tip had bled with pearly essence that her mouth watered to taste. Her breath hitched, warmth spread in her belly as she licked her lips. Ominis’s head canted, scenting the air.
With a furrowed brow he turned to her, squeezing her nape painfully- which only served to stoke the wanton heat flickering in low in her stomach. He leaned in, pressing his brow against her cheek.
“Calm, Primrose.” He whispered, his heated breath fanning her neck, "If I can pick up on your scent, so can others, and this particular fragrance belongs exclusively to me. Do you understand? Conjure something revolting or embarrassing in your mind, it can be...beneficial for such occasions."
She clamped her eyes shut, summoning the most unpleasant recent memory she could muster. Fir infiltrated her mind, sickly and unwelcoming, as she envisioned Sebastian. His lips on her neck, teeth tugging at her skin as his hips rutted against her. How her body had betrayed her, warming under his unwanted caresses.
She grimaced, arousal quickly doused and replaced by panic.
“That’s enough, darling. I hadn’t meant to distress you.” Ominis’s voice pulled her from her thoughts and she leaned into him, keening. “What did you think of that put you into such a state?”
“Nothing we can’t talk about later.”
“If you insist.” He said, a frown marring his features, “Anyways, back to your virginity. That part of me you were holding, there are many names for. I'll procure a book to illuminate you on such matters later, but for now, to lose your innocence in the truest sense of the word you would need to take that part of me inside you.”
“But, haven’t I already done that?”
“No, well…I pressed against you, but…deeper. I would need to go much deeper. I can’t ask you to attend my rut. You are…untried…and I won’t be able to be gentle with you.”
“You arn’’t asking, and…I need to be there, Ominis. I want to get to know you, all sides of you, not just the sweet side of you. I want the other parts too.”
“Prim-” Distress laced his scent. He was worried for her- he shouldn’t be.
“I need to be there for you and I want my first time to be with a clear head, please Ominis?” She would beg if she had to. The thought of him hurting like she had before Ominis tended her...it was unbearable. “I'm an Omega, I was made to take care of you. Whatever your Alpha demands of me I can accommodate. I want you to use me as you need.”
“Use you as I…Good Merlin, Primrose! I know these words are coming from innocent intent but…” He said.
“Please, Ominis.” She leaned into him, curling an arm about his waist once more. His scent sweetened and she breathed in deeply. “You said I’m your Omega, and if I am it’s my right to tend to you.”
“Primrose, I won’t be in control.” His expression was stern, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Prim tried to stifle a laugh but failed, “Ominis, you can’t hurt me, not physically. Your designation makes you incapable of such a thing.”
“I’m not worried about physically harming you, Primrose. I’m concerned about-” His words tapered off before he swallowed and narrowed his eyes, his voice in a whisper. "If you accompany me, your mind will be lucid while I'll be ruled completely by hormones. If you reconsider our…companionship… midway... I'm afraid I won't be able to let you go, let alone stop myself."
Her comprehension of his words dawned slowly as she recollected their encounters in the undercroft, how she yearned for his touch once her mind was clear- she still ached for it and likely always would. Their union was inevitable, Ominis was her Alpha and his need for her mirrored her own need for him. They belonged together!
“Why would I ever want to leave my Alpha?” Prim said.
“I- I…” His eyes widened, brows raised as his lips fell open in a gasp. Heat bled up his neck, staining his cheeks and ears an alarming shade of red. She leaned away from him, hand pulling from his waist to cup his heated cheek. He looked lost, caught between pleased and alarmed. Prim had never wanted to kiss him more.
Her thumb grazed his bottom lip in a warning and she leaned forward, nose bumping softly against his. His breath fanned her lips and time stilled for a moment as Prim’s bravery fled her and they hung in limbo between kissing and retreating.
His lips sealed, eyes fluttering closed as he lightly nudged her closer with the tender grip he maintained on her neck. Their lips united in a faint touch, a hesitant encounter of two beings acknowledging their new roles to each other.
Ominis withdrew first, his complexion more flushed than before. He pressed his lips to her forehead with considerably more confidence than he had shown during their kiss, and she couldn't suppress a chuckle.
"Do I amuse you?" He tightened his hold on her nape, "If this is what you want, I won't stand in your way."
"I'm relieved you understand the dynamics of our relationship."
"So this is how it will be?" He snorted ungracefully, "I'm to quietly step aside for the ambitions of a Hufflepuff? This is quite the novel role reversal."
"Indeed." Prim echoed, drawing out the work in a terrible mimicry of Ominis's posh English accent. His lips quirked upward as he chuckled, revealing a row of impeccably straight white teeth.
Nurse Blainey rounded the corner and Prim’s lips pressed into a hard line at her approach.
“Had enough time, dears?”
“Indee-” Ominis coughed, squeezing Prim’s neck as she snorted a laugh. "Yes, we have."
"Well, during your absence I reviewed our rut room capacity and I regret to inform you that all the rut rooms are presently in use," she delivered the news, her face reflecting the identical trepidation mirrored in their expressions.
The news felt like a punch to the gut.
“Good Merlin, you can't be serious!" Ominis sprung from the cot, fury vibrating in his timbre. "What about Primrose's heat? Do you expect me to deflower her in the Slytherin Commons room? The shared dormitory, perhaps? Primrose's safety is non-negotiable and I insist you make room immediately or provide alternate arrangements at once!" He went on, laying into the unfortunate nurse. The instinct to placate him surged powerfully, but doing so wouldn't resolve their situation. They needed a secure place, a location that was exclusive to them. "As you are aware, my family has considerable influence, Nurse Blainey, and I won't hesitate to leverage them to protect my-"
Prim crossed her ankles and folded her hands on her lap, admiring her Alpha’s poisonous tongue with wide eyes from a safe distance. Goodness, did that man have a way with words…
Ominis's hand clenched into a fist, a vein pulsating on his tight jaw. The severity of their predicament was inscribed across his features, deeply etched into the furrows of his brow.
This is not how Anne and Ominis said things would go, but Prim couldn’t find it in herself to worry, she had complete trust in her Alpha.
Ominis carried on his tirade well beyond the dramatic malfunction of the Silencio charm, which shattered and fell away in tandem with the breakdown of Nurse Blainey's composure. Prim's fingers dug into the cotton sheets, as she braced to put that neck-licking Omega trick to practice.
Ominis had worked himself into a spectacular state, and this seemed as opportune a moment as any…
“Wait, wait, now! Calm yourself, Mr. Gaunt.” A sharply dressed woman strode between the privacy curtains, her red hair blazing like a torch in the dimmed infirmary. She stood with resolution etched into her freckled expression. Wisps of hair framed her rounded face and warm eyes held a steeliness that Prim hoped mirrored her crisis management skills.
"I might have a solution," she declared, drawing their attention. The abrupt relief in the air was almost palpable but there was an underlying apprehension, like holding one's breath at the edge of a cliff, awaiting the fall or the flight.
“Forgive me, I neglected to introduce myself. I intended to meet you after the sorting ceremony but…well, I am Professor Weasley, and we have much to go over, but it will have to wait for later I’m afraid.” She measured Prim and Ominis with a thoughtful gaze that left Ominis twitching with thinly reigned irritation, her lips pressed into a thin line. "The school, we... we hadn’t expected the effects of an Omega student in attendance, Miss Cromwell," she admitted, casting silencio around them.
The pale-faced Nurse Blainey backed away silently sporting a ghost-like pallor and Prim certainly couldn’t blame her after the tongue-lashing the poor woman just received.
"There exists a place," she started, her voice oscillating between implication and apology. "A secluded spot, well-insulated. It's... unconventional, undoubtedly, but given the situation at hand." She allowed the hush to re-inhabit the room as her proposition took root. Her gaze flitted between Prim and Ominis, as though expecting a refusal. "However," she appended softly, her eyes fixed on them, "the choice lies with you. It's not as straightforward as it appears, I'm aware, but remember you're not alone in this journey. We stand by you, no matter which road you tread."
“It’s clear we are without options, so I don't understand why you didn't escort us to this place from the start- Ouch!” Prim sprang from the bed, jabbing Ominis in the ribs as she sidled up to him.
“Ominis, Professor Weasley is offering help.”
He grunted, the picture of displeasure as his arm looped around Prim’s waist, pulling her into his side. Professor Weasley looked taken aback by the unabashed display of affection, leaving Prim with an overwhelming desire to evade the elder woman’s inquisitive gaze.
“My apologies, I didn't mean to gawk. It's just... Ahem we will need the proper forms and contracts filed out. I will send an owl to both of your famili-”
“No!”
“Absolutely not.” They both demanded in quick succession.
“Well…This leaves us at quite the impasse.” Professor Weasley frowned.
“My Papa is ill, he just lost his mate…My Ma…this news might…” Prim huffed, eyes watering. Ominis’s leaned into her, squeezing her waist. “I’m not ready for him to join Ma just yet. I need…just a little more time with him.”
The red-haired witch’s face twisted, brows drawn. Her lips parted on a word but Ominis beat her to it.
“My situation is not near as dire as Primroses, but you know my family’s…reputation.” Ominis’s words were cold and precise, leaving Prim to wonder exactly what reputation he spoke of. “They will want to meet my Omega immediately and I would appreciate sufficient time to…prepare Primrose for the encounter.”
Professor Weasley sighed, pinching her brow, “Very well, I will delay the notice as long as possible, but in the meantime, I advise you both to exercise a little discretion, the two of you haven’t exactly been subtle in your attentions for each other. On the contrary, it appears you’ve done nothing but flaunt this new bond to everyone you’ve come across, and I doubt your parents would appreciate garnering such news from idle gossip or, Merlin forbid, the Daily Profit. I’ll leave you two to discuss if you would like-”
“Yes, please.” He said.
“I'll return shortly.”
“If we may, I’d rather hold off discussing our family situation when we have more time.” Ominis turned to Prim, his hand falling from her waist to intertwine with her own. Prim nodded, eager to forgo such heavy topics.
A sigh passed his lips as her fingers tightened around his.
"Listen, Primrose," he started again, meeting her gaze as best he could, "I can take suppressants. They can stave off my rut for a day."
"But isn’t that too much?..." she protested. “How much can you take before overdosing? There is no need-”
He shook his head. "It's worth it, and I’m not at risk of overdosing. You shouldn’t miss out on your first day of classes, your first day of Hogwarts- not because of me." She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off once more. "However," he added, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his lips, "I would like to walk you between classes tomorrow... if you would have me?"
“Of course!” Prim couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips at his question, her heart fluttering in her chest. "I would love that, Ominis…Only if your sure?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“I wouldn’t have suggested the idea if I wasn’t.” His sigh of relief echoed her own feelings, a bubble of warmth forming amid the surrounding chaos.
“Thank you,” Prim said, twisting to face her Alpha, she pulled free of his hand and twined her arms around his neck. “You are far too generous.”
“Generosity is instinctive for me, Gaunt’s are known for their altruistic nature.” His lips twisted in a fox-like smile as he bent, placing a chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth.
“Really?”
“No.”