Like Moths to a Flame // Sebastian Sallow x Male MC [Book One]

Chapter Fourteen: The Undercroft & the Confrontation

Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower was a bit unsettling at night with its dark shadows and faint whispers, particularly in the corridor leading to the Undercroft. As Sebastian waited for Damien, he tried to ignore the eerie cast of the hallway and instead focused on the sound of his own tapping foot, the only thing that broke the silence.

Damien was late. As a chill seeped through Sebastian's robes, he felt a growing sense of irritation at the delay. Sebastian had specifically requested they meet at half past midnight, and he couldn't understand why Damien would be so tardy. Perhaps he had fallen asleep reading again.

Before Sebastian left his common room to meet Damien, Ominis had been wide awake, tracing his fingers down the Braille in his Charms textbook. He was back to his old self again, determined to catch up on all the work he had missed while he was sick. He had been so engrossed that he didn't even seem to hear Sebastian slip out the door, which was all well and good. Sebastian didn't need him asking any questions.

Sebastian pulled out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and started eating them absentmindedly. He was chewing on a Lemon-flavored bean when the hall took on a faint glow.

"Sebastian?" a familiar voice called out.

Sebastian straightened up, scanning the dark corridor until he caught sight of Damien's figure emerging from the shadows. "Over here," he called back.

Damien whispered Nox under his breath, extinguishing his wand's light, and ambled over to Sebastian.

"A bit late, aren't you?" Sebastian said, his tone slightly clipped. This was really starting to become a pattern. 

"Sorry, I lost track of time."

Sebastian shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "No matter. You're here now." 

He was pleased to observe Damien's shoulders relax ever so slightly at his words. It confirmed for Sebastian that Damien hadn't been deliberately late. Perhaps he really was just terrible at arriving places on time. Sebastian could never, but they couldn't have everything in common, could they?

"How are those sweets?" Damien asked, startling Sebastian out of his ruminations. 

Sebastian blinked. "Pardon?"

"The sweets you're holding?"

Sebastian looked down. Oh yes, he was still holding the box of Bertie Bott's. Silly him. Pay attention, you daft fool. It's just Damien. 

"You've never had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" he said.

"No. Are they any good?"

"It depends. Some flavors are absolutely revolting, but it's the surprise factor that makes them fun. Here, have one." He handed Damien a bright green one. It was probably Green Apple.

Damien placed it gingerly in his mouth and bit down. As he chewed, his face twisted in disgust. "You did that on purpose," he accused, spitting the bean into his hand.

"Oh no," he said, laughing. "It was Grass-flavored, wasn't it?"

"Blergh, Grass? That's disgusting." Damien swallowed a few times, his lips pinched. He then narrowed his eyes, held out his hand with the bean he'd spat out, and, to Sebastian's great horror, dropped the chewed up bean onto the pristine floor.

"What was that for?" Sebastian said, none too pleased by Damien's choice. Why would anyone do such a thing? 

Damien shrugged. "Someone will come by and clean it up."

"Hold on now, were you raised in a barn? One moment." He grabbed his wand from his knapsack, cast Evanesco, and the offending mess disappeared entirely.