Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter TWENTY TWO - Flour

I couldn't get out of the library fast enough. 

After leaving the map chamber, Professor Fig had made me promise to let him know the minute the little drawing in my book began to glow before sending me off to class.

I didn't want to be late or miss it all together, but I needed to find Sebastian and tell him everything right away. 

Thankfully, Sebastian was in my next class- Herbology. I raced towards the greenhouses, clutching the book to my chest and not even bothering to put it into my bag. I nearly tripped down the hall directly outside the entrance to the greenhouse when I saw him.

"SEBASTIAN!!!" I was vaguely aware of a few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students giving me a weird look. 

He swung around, fear dancing across his eyes and his hand clutching his wand before he saw the smile on my face and I physically saw him relax.

"Sebastian. Thank Merlin. I need to talk to you." I puffed as I finally closed the distance between us. 

A few Slytherin's to our right snickered, their hands over their mouths, whispering excitedly.

Great.

My head on a swivel, I looked for somewhere a bit more private. "In here." I tugged the wrist of his robe and pulled him in through the closest door - he stumbled behind me and the tip of his toe caught the edge of the door frame as we entered. His legs tumbled through mine and we had to hold onto each other to keep from completely falling over. I slammed the door behind us and leaned my back against it. Breathing wildly.

"Sebastian."

"Barlowe! Bloody hell, what is going on?"

I finally took in the room around us and realized I had pulled us into a broom closet. The walls were close, piles and piles of buckets, mops, brooms, and towels stacked to the roof. Sebastian stood only a step away from me, his back pressed to the far wall. I noticed the way his tie was tied slightly off center, the way his chest was rising and falling faster than normal. The way his eyes traced across my face, over my lips.

"I just met with Professor Fig. He finished translating the book Sebastian." 

His eyes widened. "What did he find?!"

I pushed the book into his hands and he flipped through it excitedly.

The words poured out of my mouth as I explained everything that had just happened. His brows furrowed when I told him about the trials.

"Wait wait. They won't just teach you?"

"They said it was to protect it from falling into the wrong hands."

"But you already possess the power... isn't it already 'in your hands'?"

I shrugged. "I suppose there's more to learn, more I can do that I don't understand yet. Some secret they are keeping."

His eyes flicked up from the pages and something brushed in and out of them too quickly for me to process it.

"I haven't had the chance to read through the book myself. Could- Would you want to meet me tonight, to read it?"

He smirked. "Do garden gnomes bite?"

I stared at him for far too long, trying to figure out what had just come out of his mouth.

His smile fell. "They do Barlowe. They do." He shook his head. "That was a perfectly good joke too... OF COURSE I want to meet you tonight."

My brain was still trying to understand but I nodded anyway and took the book back. 

"I'll meet you in the Undercroft."

----

Midnight came all too slowly again that night but I was ready right as the clock hands clicked together. In my hurry though, I had forgotten to stop by the kitchen and my stomach grumbled loudly. I hoped Sebastian had brought another pear or two.

The gate creaked open and immediately upon stepping through, my nose was battered with the smell of something warm and sweet.

Candlelight blanketed the room as usual, the little wooden box was still placed in the center of the room surrounded by cushions but as I crept closer I noticed a silver metal plate like the ones from the Great Hall. On it was the tallest stack of golden and slightly blackened pancakes I had ever seen.

My smile touched my ears.

"Thought you might like those."

Sebastian was leaning against the back of the pillar to my right.

"Where did you-"

He stepped out into the candlelight and I had to chew on my lip to keep from giggling.

His face was covered in little marks of flour - one on his nose and a few on his cheeks.

"You made these?" I breathed.

He squinted his eyes. "...no."

I crossed my arms and smiled. "You didn't make these?"

"Barlowe, how would I have made pancakes-"

I took a couple steps towards him and he watched me intently.

Ever so slowly, I brushed my thumb across his cheek.

He stopped breathing.

I held my flour covered finger up to him and smirked.

His smile rose softly and his cheeks heated pink.

"How in Merlin's name did you make pancakes Sallow?"

We were still standing close enough to touch but neither of us made a move to step away.

"I... may have convinced Tooby to let me use the kitchens earlier..." He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, honestly it didn't take much convincing once I mentioned it was for you. I- uh, I didn't know what you liked to top them with so-" He stepped past me and pulled a few containers from behind the wood box.

Syrup, powdered sugar, butter, berries and even a whole pear.

"Tooby sent me with a little of everything." He was grinning. "I made the pancakes myself though. They aren't great, I did burn a few... sorry."

"Sebastian."

"Yes?"

"It's perfect."