"Look, all I'm saying is that Nifflers are terrible creatures."
"How could you ever think that?" I didn't hold back the bit of malice in my tone.
Sebastian had been ranting on ever since we had left the castle after classes, Ominis dragging his feet but adding in his two cents every so often.
"Please don't tell her that story Sebastian. It is regrettably and agreeably, quite sad."
"Uhm. No? He has to justify his reasoning for hating possibly the cutest magical creatures on the planet..."
Ominis crossed his arms. "Alright, well I did warn you."
"Fine." Sebastian sighed and rubbed a thumb over his brows, mussing them up before pushing the hairs back in to place. "It's not that much of a story really... its just- gah how do I even start this?" He kicked at a pebble as we walked and watched it roll ahead, bringing the toe of his boot back to it as we reached its resting spot and continuing the process all over again.
"When Anne and I were young, our parents used to do everything in their power to make Anne and I feel loved equally. We would get the same amount of birthday presents, haircuts on the same day, new clothes and books at the same time... everything. But, there was this one instance where my dad pulled me aside on our birthday and gave me a little black box with a green ribbon."
Sebastian's small smirk at the memory sewed stitches of warmth through my blood.
"He held a finger to his lips and whispered in my ear that this gift was specifically for me. It had belonged to my grandfather and his father before him. At the time, I didn't really comprehend how important it was to the Sallow family line, but I knew it was special. I tore open the little box so quickly that I got three paper cuts on my thumb alone!" He held his finger up laughing as if the little red lines could still be seen if you squinted hard enough. "I remember it was three because I told Anne later that I had gotten them from fighting off three separate Dugbogs all by myself. Of course, she didn't believe me but that's not the point."
Ominis smiled at the ground, arm linked through mine so his wand hand could rest for a bit. We often walked like this as a group and I was grateful for the closeness.
"Anyway, inside was the most beautiful little gold pocket watch I had ever seen. Not that I'd seen many by that age, but I mean, the detailing was impeccable. Little vines were engraved around the entire thing and when you flipped it open it had 'SALLOW' written just behind the little hands on the face. It was attached to a small chain that my father showed me how to loop through my vest button hole."
His eyes gleamed in the sun and I could see the emotion growing behind them as he talked. His smile faltered as he continued.
"That same night, I set the little pocket watch on top of my favorite book next to my bed and went to sleep. I woke a couple hours later to the sound of rustling and when I opened my eyes..." His jaw tightened. "...this Niffler was sitting proudly on top of my book shoving the little watch into its pouch. The damn thing was too quick for me to catch, though Merlin knows I tried."
He dropped his head to his feet and the little rock he had been kicking was left in our footprints.
"I'd never seen my father so disappointed before. Though he tried to reassure me multiple times that it wasn't my fault..." His nostrils flared and he wiped at his face. "That's why I hate Nifflers. Haven't been able to like a damn one since." He grinned without cheer, cheeks heavy.
The dirt and leaves crunched below out feet as we walked shoulder to shoulder. Ominis on my right and Sebastian on my left, the heat from their bodies draping my skin in a blanket but even through the warmth, I still shivered as Sebastian's fingers grazed mine. I wasted no time pulling them in to my palm and watched his chest rise and fall twice quickly before his breathing became normal again.
"Merlin, its been how many years and I'm still getting emotional over a damn pocket watch?" He chuckled.
Ominis sniffed to my right.
"I'm sorry Sebastian." I wished for a greater word than 'sorry' but nothing seemed quite worthy.
"It's alright really. I've moved on." He squeezed my hand and bumped my hip with his. "Lets stop talking about dreary little me and focus on the task at hand. Any ideas on costumes ladies and gents?"
The rest of the walk into Hogsmeade was spent bickering over characters and aesthetics with little to no progress.
----
Gladrags was a happy little shop ran by a happy little man named Augustus Hill. He was far too pleased to show us every bit and bob he had to offer.
At one point he had Sebastian in a mask of silk and Ominis in the largest top hat I had ever seen. It tilted unevenly to the left and slid down his forehead before being promptly righted and an even larger feather shoved into the band.
The shop keep took a step back and eyed Ominis with a hand to his chin, grinning to himself. "I'd say that looks as if it was made for you."
Sebastian and I had to hide our giggles behind the clothing divider, pretending to peruse the over the top dresses that hung there. He untied the silk mask quickly and placed it on a rather odd looking mannequin.
"How about this one hmm?" Sebastian kept is voice low and held out a bright green dress with too many frills and a string of pearls beaded down the side. "I suspect you have a sharp eye for fashion." He pretended to twirl an imaginary mustache and peered down at me over the bridge of his nose, mocking the shop owner.
"Looking for something for the lady?" Augustus appeared next to us as quickly as if he had apparated, sipping from a tiny pink teacup.
Sebastian jumped a few inches into the air and clutched at the shirt over his heart, nearly dropping the gown as his eyes shot daggers at the man with the funny hair.
"Oh I don't know." I fumbled quickly to keep Augustus' attention from the brooding Slytherin. "I haven't decided on a costume just yet. None of us have really, we just wanted to get a few ideas."
Augustus took another sip from his cup looking rather unpleased at the prospect of not actually selling anything. "Of course." He smiled anyway, lips not quite meeting his cheeks.
He turned his attention back to Sebastian who had wiped the glare from his face and was now poking at a peculiar black cloak with little symbols that shifted over the fabric.
"Come here young man. Let me try something on you." He set his teacup down and Sebastian took the moment to give me a wide eyed plead for help but I only sunk into a chair next to Ominis, grinning sweetly. Ominis had taken the too large hat from his head and was holding it awkwardly in his lap, too kind to ask for help putting it away, but too nervous to stand for fear of being assaulted with glitter and gold chains.
Augustus returned to Sebastian and shuffled him over by the shoulders to stand ahead of the mirror directly in front of our chairs. He tucked a checkered hat that appeared to have a brim on both the front and back over his unruly hair and grinned to himself. Next he pulled a little wood pipe from a glass shelf to his left and placed it into Sebastian's palm before working his hands over the neckline of Sebastian's shirt, unbuttoning a couple buttons in an attempt to smooth the wrinkles.
Sebastian shifted uncomfortably and tried to make eye contact with me over the shopkeep's shoulder but I pretended not to notice.
That is until Augustus gave a sharp gasp. "Oh! My boy. What in Merlin's name did you do to your neck?"
Ice coated my veins and I darted my eyes back to the two men.
Sebastian was frantically trying to re-button his shirt. "Just a little accident in potions thats all." He smiled and pushed Augusts' hands away from his neck. "Nothing a little Wiggenweld won't heal right up."
Ominis tilted his nose towards Sebastian and creased his brows.
Augustus placed a dramatic hand over his chest. "My dear boy, for a moment I thought maybe you'd been... bitten by someo-" He laughed mid sentence and righted himself, dusting off the front of his jacket as if he could fling the words into the waste bin. "Never mind that. Let me grab one more thing." He darted off into a dark little room behind the counter and left the silence to nip at our toes.
Ominis smirked. "Do tell me- what ever has happened to your neck Sebastian? I don't believe you have even attended a potions class as of late."
Sebastian scratched the back of his neck and I had to remind myself to breath. The worst someone could think the marks were, were some odd sort of love bite right? That wasn't nearly as bad as them knowing it was from my magic...
was it?
Sebastian's eyes caught mine and he mouthed an apology before speaking. "Things got a little... heated down by the lake after you left."
I groaned into my hands and I felt Ominis' warm arm around my back. "Oh dear."
"You asked." Sebastian grinned sheepishly.
"Here we are!" Augustus returned with a checkered jacket that matched the odd hat atop Sebastian's head as well as a small wooden magnifying glass that looked to be at least a hundred years old. He draped the jacket over Sebastian's shoulders, twisted him around so that he could see himself in the mirror and placed the magnifying glass in his open hand. "There. You look to be a proper Sherlock Holmes now if I do say so myself."
The moment before completely forgotten, Sebastian smiled at his reflection, turning to every angle to admire the outfit. "Ha! It's perfect!" He placed the pipe into his mouth and smoldered at me through the mirror.
"You've read Sherlock Holmes too?" I grinned at the shopkeep with a newfound wonder.
"Why of course! Haven't we all?"
Ominis groaned. "I haven't."
"Oh you really must-" Augustus paused, rethinking his words and then turning back to Sebastian. "So what do you say Mr. Sallow?"
Sebastian was still grinning to himself and I had to admit, he looked rather dashing.
"I'll take them."