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

Chapter Thirty: The Catacomb

Sebastian heard a faint cough coming from the tree line directly to his right. He quickly rose from his reclined position on the frozen ground. He had been waiting at the catacomb for an hour or so. He had decided to leave Hogwarts earlier than he originally planned, finding it hard to sleep in anticipation of meeting Damien this morning to search for the relic.

The walk here, which he had started at just barely past 2 AM, had been long and freezing, but he came prepared in his long coat, scarf, and boots. He even wore a cap, which fit firmly over his ears - it wouldn't do to get frostbite. Luckily, it had not been snowing hard when he set out. There was now a faint dusting of snow on the ground. He doffed his cap, stuffing it in his pocket, and quickly mussed his hair. The snow fell gently on his head as he watched Damien emerge from the trees.

It was still dark out; the sun wouldn't rise for at least another half hour, so Damien was early for once. Interesting. Sebastian looked him up and down, attempting to discern his state of mind. He seemed tired, which was understandable, but in relatively good spirits nonetheless. Sebastian wondered if he had used Floo Flames to get here.

"You're here. Good," Sebastian greeted. He made sure he didn't sound overly enthusiastic or surprised that Damien had come.

"Sebastian, that relic you mentioned—" Damien replied.

Sebastian interrupted him before he finished his thought. "Don't think I've forgotten about your goblin friend. I haven't," he said firmly. There, he got that out of the way. Damien grimaced but remained silent. Sebastian continued, "But I needed to tell you what I've learned. I believe one of Slytherin's students stumbled upon the relic during an assignment to study sarcophagi in this catacomb. From what I read in a report by the student, they weren't permitted to take it with them. So, I must assume it's still here. As I mentioned earlier, this relic grants its holder the power to reverse Dark Magic curses. If it's in this catacomb, I have to find it. For Anne. I need to see her."

"I'd be interested to know what else the student discovered."

Sebastian rummaged in his satchel for the report. He pulled it out and offered it to Damien. "Have a look. Unfortunately, there's no name on it. But, I suspect if it was important enough for Slytherin to stash in his spellbook - it's worthy of further study."

He gave Damien a few moments to scan the report. The snow was coming down harder now. It was probably time to go inside.

Damien finished reading it and handed it back to Sebastian. "I'm ready to explore the catacomb." Sebastian nodded, placing the report back in his bag as Damien finished his thought. "Perhaps we can visit Anne when we've finished." Sebastian felt a surge of relief as Damien broached the very idea he had been contemplating.

Sebastian managed to muster a tight smile. "Perfect." He paused. "By the way, Ominis has been asking about you. You didn't tell him what we were doing, did you?"

Damien frowned slightly and looked down at his feet. "I didn't. I promise."

"Good. Ominis would be livid if he knew what we were about to do." He strode over to the entrance to the catacomb. A large elaborate stone lay to its right. Sebastian assumed it used to block the entrance. Luckily for them, someone must have moved it aside many years ago. Before they began their descent, he said, "I'll be interested to compare what lies inside to what I've read about this catacomb."

Sebastian led the way, alighting down the first set of stairs. The further they descended into the catacomb, the mustier the smell. Sebastian didn't like how quiet it was. "I'm sure that foul smell is the scent of success - try not to lose your nerve just yet." Damien didn't laugh, not that Sebastian expected him to. It didn't seem like either of them were ready to forgive each other just yet. Sebastian certainly wasn't.