Letty Igribach blew into their lives in Year 1, riding high on a wave of elegance with eyes like the sunset that made her unforgettable, and, to Sebastian, an unexplored region that would satisfy his need for adventure.
He nearly fell into her, waiting by the thestrals that would take them up to the castle, tripping on her luggage and causing a scene, where he also met Samantha who seemed more bothered by the incident than Letty.
The would-be Slytherins first saw her in Hogsmeade, out with her cousin buying school supplies, but when the time finally came being at arms length with her in the carriage they could only stare, for neither of them had the nerve to talk.
At the start of term feast, when Sebastian had gone up to share a drink with Anne, he had been walking back from the other end of the table by the staff, taking another sip and, in looking up, saw Letty right in front of him. She smiled sweetly and took note of his green robes, and, in Sebastian's case, her blue robes. He tried to wipe his chin discreetly, hoping she hadn't seen the drip or drool, and they both sat down at their respective tables.
Sebastian still loved that first sip of pumpkin juice; even the smell of it made him remember that time. He would glance over at the Ravenclaw table whenever he could, at the first girl he ever vowed to befriend, and he would never forget it; for she was annoyingly and utterly a swot.
Letty gave him no mind and took to her own space, too busy clambering with her house mates for good grades. She became disagreeable when told to lighten up and she didn't care for Sebastian, not right away. Sebastian knew he had to earn it. And it didn't take much after the first year to convince him that they were a perfect match.
"How romantic!" exclaimed Poppy one time in study hall.
"How silly," said Letty. "Let me read a romance and I might take myself out before it could."
"What do you know about eyes and good manners? You hardly ever speak to anyone."
"I speak to you, don't I, Poppy? You've got good manners and a set of eyes," she said without looking up.
"But you aren't in love with me. That's the difference."
"I don't know what that means."
"Letty, what if I said Sallow's got it in for you."
"What?"
"He made a nice speech about you in potions the other day. Overheard it myself."
"He meant the wiggenweld, I suppose."
"Idiot girl. He meant you, of course!"
"Did he?" And Letty lifted her eyes from her essay on ghosts to think about it.
"You wouldn't know a compliment when you get it," said Poppy, as if she knew all about the matter. "You know, he hasn't looked away ever since we sat down here." Then she gasped. "Now he's coming over with Ominis!"
Sebastian happened to notice the homework laid out in front of them, and Letty's beautifully drawn maps received his praise. He set his foot upon the bench beside her and leaned on his knee, saying,
"Letty, I want to tell you something."
"I thought so; glad I'm finished here then." She got to packing her supplies and respectfully left Poppy to the two boys, for she would not open any doors for Sebastian Sallow. Especially now that she had seen his true colours, and obnoxious colours they were.
Sebastian sighed, and said in parting, "I changed my mind then! Now you'll never know."
ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
It was another work day for Letty, slamming the ingredients cabinet shut then poking vigorously inside the next one for a bezoar. Right as she had found one, Garreth called from the front,
"LETTYYYY!"
"Just a minute," she muttered, crushing up the stone and making it into a paste that would sell to ease dragon pox.
Stepping into the room and taking off his apron, Garreth discovered her in a state of productivity, her back turned to him. He cuffed his sleeves and got all dishes and beakers piled up in the sink, ready for washing, when he realized she really was unaware of his arrival. Sneaking up behind her, she sat bolt up when Garreth poked at her waist as he went.
"I'll murder you, Garreth," she said, softening back into her chair.
"We'll be late if you keep this up," he grinned, and suddenly it clicked to Letty.
"Oh no, the groceries."
"I'll come with you now if you'd like. They won't miss us."
Having washed all the dishes and cleaned the laboratory for next day, the two set out of the shop to Hogsmeade before heading back to the manor for the party. With Ominis's birthday coming up, January 19, and the twins' on January 22, they thought to celebrate it all at once, something they had been doing since graduation.
The excursion with Garreth revived her spirits, and after making good bargains for two red lobsters, some strawberries and the likes, they trudged home together and into the house to find it in high spirits just as the journey had been.
Ominis had the oven red-hot, meanwhile there was a pan of bread to rise, the one Anne had worked up earlier, set aside for a second rising. Sebastian seemed to be entertaining someone in the parlour, and, as Letty stuck her head in to see, found Poppy Sweeting and Natty Onai sat with him; the two girls wearing their nicest blouse.
"What a pleasant surprise!" said Garreth, popping in behind Letty. "I was beginning to wonder when I'd see another Gryffindor. How's the little gazelle?" And he gave Natty a sweet bear hug in the room.
Natty began to laugh, and along with Poppy, the three got on about recent events. Sebastian lifted his eyebrows at Letty, causing her to vanish into the hallway with him.
"Nice of you to show up." His jaw was clenched.
"Sebastian," she warned, "not with the guests here."
"Yes, the guests are here. And what have we got to eat? Bread that has barely rizzen."
"I'm sorry. I..." But she had no excuse this time. "Happy birthday, love." And in kissing his freckled cheek she had him around her little finger again, where her suggestion to see Ominis in the kitchen was gladly accepted.
Sebastian followed her there and they saw Ominis whisking a bowl of cake batter, then with a flick of his wand it poured into a baking pan that flew right in the oven.
"Well, don't just stand there," he said to them.
Letty, with perfect faith in her own contribution and a desire to make up for her tardiness, immediately got to cutting the strawberries for the design, inviting Sebastian over to help. He was about to say three words when she threw orders at him.
"You'd better start on the lobster and roast beef before the rest of our company arrives," she said, then informed Anne to put the bread in to bake with the batter.
"There's plenty of potatoes and asparagus, and lettuce for salad if you want to call that dinner," said Anne.
"Where's Moloch these days anyways?" Sebastian asked.
"Vacation," said Anne, who nearly tripped over her brother's foot. "Sebastian!"
"Don't try too many messes now, Sebastian," warned Ominis.
"Me? You can't make anything but a mess," he cried, and the two bickered but ended as soon as they got on with it.
Natty came into the kitchen, followed by Poppy and Garreth, to see what the fuss was about. "How's it going? Might we help."
"Ominis thinks everything's out of sorts, somehow," said Sebastian, standing over the sink and readying the lobsters to boil.
The making of dinner turned out, in the end, to be nonsensical, and a variety of anxieties and techniques came with it to prepare. Each friend did their best, discovering that good energy and teamwork was all they needed to make seven chefs.
One glance at Sebastian made Letty laugh, for his hair had gone awry and turned to a frizz. She gave a cheerful tone and admitted the humidity suited him.
The roast beef seemed a savoury dish. Letty praised him on the lobsters once they were sat altogether at the dining table, cracking and pulling till it was unshelled and its meat nice and soft. The potatoes were mashed and the taste blended with the asparagus; the strawberries ripe and looked just as sweet on the cake, having been skillfully decorated by Poppy.
Here, Sebastian shared his pumpkin juice with Letty across the table. It was Poppy who, in seeing their interaction, remembered them in First Year and brought them back to study hall.
"It was clearly a confession. I remember what you were telling Amit in potions that same day," she argued.
"It wasn't. I was going to bring up the cartography club when I saw her maps, but she was already cross with me, so I stopped," he said.
"So you mean to say you only took to her in Fourth Year at the Ball? Unbelievable," smiled Natty.
"Except, you know, secrets never agreed with him," started Anne, "and he probably felt rumpled up in his mind..."
"He was! So he told me about it," Amit chimed in. "And I had a feeling, too. I could just tell by the way he looked at her. I had my cards on the table for either him or Ominis."
The thing was that every time Letty came around, all dark hair and lips, Sebastian couldn't hide that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, his face always lighting up.
"I remember thinking, 'oh, that's what they mean by that phrase'," said Amit. "He got so bright, I nearly cried. Mostly because it's a rare occasion for women. Letty is very lucky, though I assume it goes both ways."
"You mentioned Ominis," said Sebastian in a red flush.
"Well, it was harder to tell from him than with you. Eleven years old and you were already staring at her like you'd jump to hell and back," said Amit.
They sang "Happy Birthday" once they finished up the main course, Amit and Garreth clapping the loudest. When they blew out the cake, Letty handed Ominis the first slice; Anne and Sebastian shared one piece; and the platter went around to the rest.
Going over to the sink, Letty passed the boys at the end of the table and saw Anne get up towards the vinyl player, placing the needle on a record. It crackled and came to life. Letty made her rounds to clear their plates, then stood and looked around as Natty, Poppy, and Samantha got up and danced in a circle, turning the kitchen into a jazz square.
Sebastian walked into the centre of it, singing spontaneously with the track and Garreth by his side. Ominis joined Letty and leaned against the sink to save himself from embarrassment. While Letty enjoyed an occasional waltz, she was not a big fan of dancing.
"What shall we do with him? He never will behave like a grown up," sighed Ominis, as he watched them with a critical eye.
Deep down, Letty hoped her Sebastian wouldn't turn because she found his inner child funny and it put them all in a good mood.
"We're only twenty-two," she said.
Ominis stared at her because he could, and the girl smiled a shy one.
"To hell and back for you," he muttered.
When Sebastian weaved through the crowd and extended a hand to Letty, it twisted and yanked on Ominis's stomach. He watched her shake her head at first, though eventually she took Sebastian's hand and allowed to be led into the centre where they flitted and tripped up into a dance.
Her beauty was confirmed. And in Ominis' own envy a tale was to be told; yet, no matter how jealous, no matter how long he thought to wait for even a glint of her eyes towards his way, the story would never belong to him.