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

Chapter Twenty-Four: Quips & Tussles

"I just realized something. I don't even know your middle name," Damien mused as they strolled hand in hand down the path leading out of Hogsmeade. The sky hung low and gray, the occasional drizzle speckling their coats, but Damien had insisted on an afternoon walk, weather be damned.

Sebastian chuckled. He supposed that wasn't entirely surprising. Talking hadn't exactly been their priority these past few days. They'd been far too busy making up for lost time, sneaking kisses in every hidden corner they could find. The passageway to Honeydukes - freezing, but they'd kept each other warm. A secluded alleyway in Hogsmeade - equally chilly, but hardly an issue. The second level of Tomes and Scrolls - who knew a bookshop would have a secret floor? But Sebastian wasn't one to question fate, not when it had been so conveniently in their favor.

"Guess," Sebastian teased, giving his head a shake. Droplets of rainwater flew from his hair, splattering Damien, as he'd hoped.

"Oi!" Damien yelped, jumping back.

Sebastian merely shrugged and smirked back in reply.

After nudging him with his shoulder in reprisal - they were still holding hands after all; hard to shove without an additional free hand, and all that - Damien eyed Sebastian carefully, as if searching for clues hidden in the angles of his face. "Hmm. You seem like either a James or a Balthazar to me."

Sebastian let out a hearty laugh. "A James or a Balthazar? Those are such wildly different middle names. Although I quite like James."

"I had to hedge my bets," Damien said with a shrug. "Covering both traditional and absolutely bonkers."

"Right," Sebastian said, straightening his tie. "Well, you're wrong on both counts. It's Cornelius."

Damien snorted. "It is not!"

Sebastian flashed him a sly grin. "Fine, you got me. It's Nicolas, after Nicolas Flamel, the famous alchemist. My mother was completely obsessed."

Damien grinned. "Sebastian Nicolas Sallow. That's got a nice ring to it."

Sebastian simply adored hearing his full name fall from Damien's lips. He grinned back at Damien, feeling light as air, then said, "Your turn to share." 

But Damien had released his hand and was now striding purposefully away from the path. He looked as if he was inspecting something on the ground. In fact, he was now raising his wand. Ah yes, there was that Revelio again. Damien's favorite spell. Apparently.

"Well, that's one way to dodge the question," Sebastian muttered to himself, casting a quick glance at the sky as the rain picked up again.

Sebastian hadn't expected Damien to hear him, but he was now laughing. "Oh, sorry," he said. "No, I just realized I somehow missed this Merlin Trial the last time I passed through."

"Ah yes, a Merlin Trial," Sebastian said dryly. "I definitely know what that is."

"You don't?" Damien looked genuinely surprised.

"No, but let me guess." Sebastian crossed his arms. "It involves summoning a sword from thin air with a dramatic wave of your wand or something equally ridiculous. Am I close?"

Damien chuckled, and Sebastian swore he could listen to that sound forever. His laughter was effortless, rich, and warm, like the chiming of distant bells or, better yet, the crackling of a fire on a cold night. It was the kind of sound that wrapped around him, settling deep in his bones, leaving him feeling lighter, brighter.

"You know," Damien said, "that would actually make a lot more sense. But no, they're a series of puzzles scattered all over Scotland that you can solve. You've really never heard of them?"