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

Chapter Sixteen: Late Night Discussion

Sebastian sat in the dimly-lit Undercroft surrounded by piles of dusty tomes. The stack of books in front of him reached almost as high as his head, threatening to topple over at any moment. He lost track of time hours ago. Thankfully, he had the foresight to eat an early dinner, or else he would surely have succumbed to hunger by now.

He massaged his temples in frustration and let out a low groan, slamming shut the leather-bound Alchemy book in front of him. Despite his best efforts, he was struggling to find any information beyond the tired cliché of turning base metals into gold. Sebastian couldn't help but feel disappointed; he had always believed that true alchemy was about unlocking the secrets of the universe, about finding the elixir of life or the fabled Philosopher's Stone. But it seemed that every text he perused led him down the same fruitless path. Perhaps, he thought, he would have to resort to another trip to the Restricted Section.

Sebastian yawned, feeling the fatigue in his bones. He pushed his chair back and stood up, his stiff muscles protesting the sudden movement. He knew he should retire for the night, or at least attempt to sleep, but his mind was running in endless circles.

Until the rusty gate leading into the room clattered open. Then he was very much awake. 

"Oh, hello Sebastian," Damien said with a sheepish smile as he entered the room. The flickering light from the candles on the desk cast shadows on Damien's face, accentuating the sharp angles of his jawline.

Awake? Oh yes. Sebastian was now very, very, very awake. In his mind, and... well, other places that Sebastian was trying not to think about at the moment. 

Sebastian brought a shaky hand up in greeting. "What brings you here at this hour?" he somehow managed to ask. 

Damien shrugged. "I was just taking a stroll around the castle, and I thought I'd get a practice session in. Confringo is great fun."

"A stroll around the castle? At this hour of the night?" 

Damien chuckled, taking a few steps closer to Sebastian, his gaze lingering on him for a moment.

Sebastian's heart started pounding incessantly in his chest. Stop it, stop it right now. Damien obviously didn't come to see you, you dolt, his mind shouted at him. 

"You caught me," Damien said, a smirk playing at his lips. "I was actually on a mission for Mr. Moon."

Merlin, had Sebastian ever seen Damien smirk before? No, he didn't think so. Damien should honestly do that more often. Or... maybe not. It was rather distracting. 

Keeping as straight a face as he possibly could, Sebastian said, "You and your mysterious quests. What did you get involved in this time?"

Damien leaned against the wall, setting down his bag in the process. "Remember our trip to Hogsmeade?" he asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

Sebastian laughed. "How could I forget?" How could he forget, indeed. 

"Well, when we found Mr. Moon on the side of the road, it wasn't an actual Demiguise he saw. It was a Boggart in the form of a Demiguise. Someone is apparently playing a practical joke on him."

"How odd."

Damien went on, "Someone's leaving Demiguise statues all over Hogwarts and the surrounding area to scare him. They have these moons inside them that when collected - which can only be done at night, mind you - the statues disappear."

"Strange. Why'd you agree to help him?" Sebastian honestly wouldn't have bothered enough to do such a thing. The fact that Damien cared enough to do so... well, it was, frankly, beyond words. Was he really that generous with his time?