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

Chapter Thirty-Two: Blue Christmas

Sebastian didn't want to be at Hogwarts during the holidays. He wanted to be with Anne. He didn't even care that that meant he'd also have to see Solomon. Being apart from his twin sister on Christmas Day felt inherently wrong. A few nights ago, he had sent her the crest, carefully concealing a note within a hidden crevice of the worn wood. He hoped she would discover it soon and respond.

The worst part of not being with her was that he missed their annual tradition, a positively delightful exchange of gifts over pie for breakfast, a special indulgence. Ominis had joined them the past few years as well, which made the day even more enjoyable. 

The tradition had been passed down by his parents, and it had endured through the years, despite his uncle's disapproval of pie as a morning repast. Typical of him, really. And then, in the afternoon, Sebastian, Anne, and Ominis - sans Solomon, naturally - would cozy up by the fireplace and take turns reading aloud from their favorite books. Ominis would just listen, of course. Anne and Ominis reveled in thrilling adventures, while Sebastian was drawn to darker tales. Finally, the evening would bring dinner, followed by savoring the remaining pie they had started that morning. They'd go to bed with full bellies and full hearts. 

A deep sigh escaped Sebastian's lips as he pondered whether Anne missed him, and whether or not her day had been a pleasant one. At the very least, he wished her day had been better than his. He briefly thought the same for Ominis, even though Sebastian had seen him around the castle. He really did wish the best for him, even though Ominis could be stubborn, taciturn, and ridiculously argumentative. Ominis was his friend. Had been his friend? Who even knew anymore.

Sebastian had spent the entire day buried in books he'd smuggled out of the Restricted Section the night before - volumes on relics and dark sacrifices. Anything to keep his mind occupied. Anything to drown out the ceaseless buzzing in his head, which hadn't lessened and was slowly driving him mad.

He'd briefly considered going to Nurse Blainey, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. What would he even say? That an ancient relic was maybe possibly affecting him in some strange way, crawling under his skin, threading itself into his thoughts? No, this was something beyond medicine. And it had to be connected to the relic - the strange whispers he'd heard the moment he touched it in the catacomb. But the relic was necessary. It was needed for Anne. So, Sebastian would endure whatever it was doing to him. For now. And anyway, at least the whispers hadn't returned. The buzzing he could deal with. Surely, it would pass.

But back to the books! Yes, relics and dark sacrifices. Yes, both subjects were so incredibly interesting. Intriguing, really. They called to him. And there was more written on the subjects than he had expected. Christmas Eve had also been the perfect time for his little excursion - no students lingering in the library, not even Madam Scribner. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Peeves in days. Did poltergeists celebrate Christmas?

Sebastian had also taken to re-reading Salazar Slytherin's spellbook, using it as a trusted reference. The sections concerning the relic had been pored over so thoroughly that he could recall their contents with ease. Yet, each time he revisited them, he clung to the hope that he might have missed something: a hidden clue, an overlooked detail, anything that could light the path forward. Alas, fortune had not yet favored him in this pursuit. Yet being the key word. 

For all his efforts, he was no closer to understanding what the relic actually did, despite keeping it close at all times. He couldn't risk leaving it unattended, where prying hands might find it. More often than not, he caught himself brushing his fingers against it through the fabric of his robe, a subconscious habit he wasn't sure he liked. Over the past week, he had subjected the relic to every test he could think of - exposing it to flame, submerging it in water, freezing it solid with Glacius - with no reaction. Whatever power it held refused to reveal itself. Again, yet.