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

Chapter Twenty: Searching for Ominis

Sebastian scoured the Slytherin Common Room and the Great Hall in search of Ominis, to no avail. He paced back and forth outside Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower for an hour before finally admitting defeat. Ominis must be held up at home, he mused with a resigned sigh. Poor Ominis.

Sebastian headed towards the lake, hoping to clear his head. As he walked across the bridge, a blur rushed past him on his right. Startled, the figure abruptly halted and turned back, revealing itself to be Poppy.

"Sebastian!" she exclaimed breathlessly, her face flushed.

"Hello, Poppy. What's the rush?"

She blushed. "I wanted to check on an injured Jabberknoll I found in the woods late this morning."

"Don't let me keep you," he replied, gesturing for her to continue on her way.

"Oh! But I also wanted to ask you where Damien was," she said, her tone slightly faltering.

Sebastian cocked his head. "Why?"

"No reason," she responded weakly.

Sebastian's curiosity deepened as he probed further. "No reason?" he repeated, his voice tinged with skepticism.

Poppy shifted uncomfortably, sensing Sebastian's suspicion. "Well, I guess... he mentioned something about wanting to meet the Jabberknoll," she admitted hesitantly.

"Interesting," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Considering he was with me the entire morning. Unless he's perfected the art of being in two places at once," he added, half-jokingly, but not entirely discounting the possibility when it came to Damien.

Poppy's face reddened, and she stammered, "Oh! You're right. It must have been Amit who mentioned it. Silly me." She let out a nervous chuckle before hastily bidding Sebastian farewell and scurrying away.

Sebastian watched as Poppy retreated, a furrow forming on his brow. Amit's supposed interest in a Jabberknoll seemed out of character, and Poppy's evasiveness only fueled his curiosity. What was she hiding? And why did she inquire about Damien? He pondered these questions briefly, but with his mind already occupied, he decided to set them aside for now.

Arriving at the lake, Sebastian found it bustling with activity. The chilly morning had turned into an unseasonably warm October afternoon. Among the familiar faces, he spotted his roommates Henry and Rupert engaged in a game of catch to his left, which he found rather quaint.

"Fancy seeing the two of you here," Sebastian greeted them, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Seb! Think fast!" Henry called out, swiftly throwing the ball in Sebastian's direction. Reacting on instinct, Sebastian managed to catch it just in the nick of time, preventing it from slamming directly into his head.

"What kind of ball is this?" Sebastian asked as he examined the ball in his hand, noting its satisfying weight and the intricacies of its stitching pattern.

"It's a baseball," Henry replied, beckoning Sebastian to throw it back to him. "My cousin sent it from America."

"Hmm, interesting." His curiosity satiated, Sebastian tossed it back to Henry.

"Where have you been?" Rupert interjected.

"At my uncle's - to visit Anne."

Rupert smiled. "She must have liked that."

Sebastian gave him a quick nod in response. No need to delve into the dreadful details.

"Are you going back at the end of the month for your birthday?" Rupert continued between throws.