Like Moths to a Flame // Sebastian Sallow [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.

The rusty gate leading into the room clattered open.

"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.

Sebastian raised a hand in greeting. "What brings you here at this hour?"

Damien shrugged nonchalantly. "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?" Sebastian teased.

Damien chuckled, taking a few steps closer to Sebastian, his gaze lingering on him for a moment. He hesitated briefly before responding. "You caught me. I was on a mission for Mr. Moon."

"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?"

"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 messing with 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?"

"He said he'd teach me some more advanced forms of Alohomora."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like an interesting trade. Any luck finding these statues so far?"

Damien shook his head. "Not particularly. I found two in the Faculty Tower earlier tonight, but only one since then. I was calling it a night."

"You were in the Faculty Tower? How enterprising." Not even Sebastian had managed to explore there. 

"Mr. Moon let me in."

Sebastian nodded in understanding. He felt another wave of exhaustion hit him. "What time is it?"

Damien pulled up his sleeve and glanced at his wristwatch. "Half past one. Why?"

Sebastian rubbed his bleary eyes. "I haven't slept more than four hours over the past three days."

Damien let out a low whistle. "That sounds rough. Busy researching?"

"Something like that." Sebastian didn't need to go into detail about his nightmares.

"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't slept much either. I have a hard time sleeping most nights," Damien proffered.

"Oh? I would have never guessed."

"Yeah, well, I've gotten pretty good at hiding it over the years. But insomnia runs in my family, so I guess it was inevitable."

Sebastian saw an opportunity and decided to take it. "I don't know much about your family. Care to share?"

"There's not much to share," Damien said with a shrug. "My father's a Muggle, like I mentioned before. I never knew my mother - she died before I can remember. Professor Fig said she was a witch. He found out through old Ministry records."

Sebastian looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry about your mother. My mother died too."

"I suspected as much. And your father?" Damien asked gently.

"They both died. When Anne and I were seven."

"That's awful."

There was a moment of silence between them, the air heavy with feeling. Sebastian realized they were standing abnormally close together. He felt a flicker of something in his chest, an unnameable emotion that he couldn't quite place. He almost reached out to touch Damien's shoulder, but hesitated. Instead, Sebastian cleared his throat and took a step back, breaking the tension. "I should probably get some rest," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Damien nodded, his expression softening. "Yes, you should. You look exhausted."

Sebastian forced a small smile. "I'll see you around." He grabbed a few items from the desk, leaving the rest behind. He'd come back to his research tomorrow. As long as Damien didn't set the books on fire during his practice.

Damien had pulled his wand out of his pocket and was pacing the room, most likely deciding what he wanted to conjure to practice upon.

Sebastian didn't want to interrupt, so he turned around and exited the Undercroft.

Once out the door, Sebastian released a deep exhale. He wished he could let Damien in more, but something was holding him back. Whatever the reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed an opportunity. He quashed the urge to go back in and continue their conversation. He really needed to get some sleep.