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

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Misunderstandings

Sebastian rolled over in his bed for the umpteenth time, unable to find a comfortable position or a way to calm his overactive brain. He tried to distract himself by counting sheep, then Nifflers, then Bowtruckles, but nothing was working. Since their argument in the Undercroft the other day, Ominis still wasn't talking to him, and things had cooled off somewhat between him and Damien. In fact, he wasn't quite sure what was going on with Damien. Perhaps he was still cross with him; it certainly seemed like it. Whatever the case, Damien was definitely putting some deliberate distance between them. Sebastian didn't like it. Damien was also spending more time with Poppy, which wouldn't have concerned Sebastian if Damien had told him, but he had found out about it through the rumor mill. Sebastian buried his face in his pillow, wondering how he had managed to mess up everything so badly.

Ominis's refusal to speak to him wasn't exactly new, but this felt different. It left an uneasy feeling in Sebastian's gut. And the distance between him and Damien only added to his restlessness. It didn't help that Professor Weasley hadn't assigned either of them detention for their late arrival to class. For the first time ever, Sebastian was disappointed that he didn't receive detention. He had been hoping that some forced alone time with Damien would give them the opportunity to discuss the relic. Sebastian rolled onto his back, opened his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling above him, wondering what he could do to fix things. He wouldn't abandon his search for the relic, but he also couldn't let his relationships suffer. There had to be a way to strike a healthy balance.

On an entirely different note, it dawned on him yesterday why the first panel in the triptych he and Damien found in Feldcroft looked so familiar. He could be wrong of course, but he was fairly certain it depicted a hill just north of the Forbidden Forest by an old abandoned mine. He hadn't had a chance to speak with Damien yet about it in person, so he started drafting a letter in his mind. Perhaps continuing to help Damien learn more about ancient magic would be a good way to revive their old camaraderie, for want of a better word. Sebastian admitted to himself that he missed him.

Sebastian sighed and sat up. As much as he dreaded facing the tension between him and Ominis and whatever was going on with Damien, he knew he couldn't just lay in bed and mope. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching his arms above his head. He walked over to his desk and started jotting down some notes in the dark for the letter he planned to send to Damien.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself of his priorities: finding a cure for Anne and keeping his relationships intact. He was definitely failing that last one. With all of that in mind, he grabbed his jumper and headed out of the room, determined to find something to explore if he wasn't going to get any rest.

—

Professor Sharp paced the room, supervising the class as they all worked on concocting Edurus Potions. Sebastian's was finished, and his was perfect, per usual. He had a natural talent for potion making, not that Sharp ever praised him for it. They had a mutual dislike for each other, most likely exacerbated by Sharp and his uncle knowing each other from their time as Aurors. Sebastian glanced over at Damien across the room working at the station beside Poppy's. Poppy's potion was bubbling oddly and emitting a strange odor. Damien's looked pristine though, which wasn't surprising.

Sebastian tried not to take it personally that Damien had been so deep in conversation with Poppy when he walked in that he hadn't even acknowledged Sebastian's presence. No matter - Sebastian would pull him aside after class regardless. Sebastian closed his Potions textbook while Garreth chattered on beside him, something about a new experimental potion he was working on. Sebastian wasn't really listening.

Professor Sharp was now back at the front of the class. He cleared his throat and exclaimed, "Next week be prepared to turn in no fewer than three pages of parchment on how to prepare Wiggenweld, Edurus, and Maxima Potions. Remember that they will all most likely be a part of your O.W.L.s at the end of the year. There is no excuse for doing poorly on that component of the exam. Please wait for me to check your potion before leaving class." And with that he began his rounds to each station, starting with Poppy, Damien, and Amit. It would be just Sebastian's luck that he would stop by his station last.