Work Text:
Sebastian rolled his cufflinks up his forearm. Rolled them back down. Folded them up, right below his elbows. Folded them down again a quarter of the way this time.
Ridiculous. This was ridiculous and yet he didn’t want to seem too stuffy for the occasion but he also knew it wasn’t quite hot out yet, not until the afternoon.
“Sebastian?”
“In here!” he called out. Ominis appeared at the doorway to their room.
With a scowl, he goes, “Are you still getting ready?”
“I’m just about done.” He decided to fold his sleeves right below his elbows, not wanting to fuss over it later. Besides, the Spring Festival was going to take place outdoors. And the sleeves being up was a much better look, if he said so himself, at least because he had been a beater for Quidditch the previous year.
Ominis paced the room. “This is exactly why I warned you not to stay up too late reading, Sebastian. More than half the school left an hour ago while you were sleeping in during breakfast.”
Sebastian straightened his tie and turned to find Ominis still pacing, only in much nicer clothes than their dusty old Slytherin robes. A black jumper with the white collar pressed neatly against the neckline of his top and dark brown slacks. “You look nice today, Ominis.”
“I look nice everyday,” Ominis retorted, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently. “Now, will you please finish up so we won’t be even more late than we already are?”
“We still have to retrieve Sienna, don’t we?” Surely their Ravenclaw friend was waiting for them at the bottom of her tower.
Ominis shook his head. “The girls already left this morning.”
“Without us?” He couldn’t help but feel slightly offended even if he knew it was entirely his fault.
Ominis finally smiled a bit. “Can you really blame them? It’s Sienna’s first time and it’s been too long since Anne has even been allowed to attend a Hogwarts event.”
“Well, we better get going then! No more time to waste standing around talking,” and with that being said, Sebastian brushed past Ominis who simply sputtered about the fact that he had been ready since before breakfast and Sebastian should be grateful, at the very least, that he had waited for him as compared to his own sister who left him.
But Ominis couldn’t help but smile as he followed Sebastian, recalling how excited Anne was to be allowed to attend the Spring Festival and with a female friend for once.
It took a major amount of convincing to get permission from their uncle to even let Anne out of the house. They had to keep Sebastian outside while Ominis, Sienna, and Anne explained they’d be cautious and take as many breaks as was necessary in case Anne’s condition flared up. Anne even reassured their uncle that if it got too bad, she’d come back early.
When Ominis and Sienna exited the house, a huge smile on Sienna’s face, Sebastian hugged her so tightly, their enthusiasm at successfully persuading his stubborn uncle was infectious. And it had been so long since Sebastian was able to properly enjoy spending time with his sister, and just her alone, without his angry uncle hovering over him.
It was a surprise for both of them though, how quickly he had hugged her without even thinking, and they had kept their distance on the way back to Hogwarts that day, pointedly avoiding eye contact.
And now she’s ran off with his own sister to experience the annual Spring Festival for the first time which made him happy. But also a bit jealous at the fact that neither of them wanted to wait for him. He was looking forward to seeing Sienna’s reaction to all of the flowers blooming and instead his sister stole her away from him to experience that herself.
And they had shared a bed together in Sienna’s dorm for the night (with permission from the school, of course). When did they even grow so close?
Ominis and Sebastian walked the long, dirt pathway leading to the Spring Festival. The entirety of Hogsmeade as well as people from other towns gathered in this one specific, unmarked land where all of the flowers bloomed in various spots. Vendors set up shops to sell their wares and food while the children and students ran through the meadows around them. They needed an incredible amount of space to host the festival and there was an abundance of it beside Hogwarts, even if it was a farther distance away. It was certainly worth the walk (or fly, if you were so inclined). But the path was a sight itself already, with flowers sprouting up along the outline of the walkway the entire way there and magical plants surprising them every few meters.
“We’re close,” Ominis said, as the jovial music was carried toward them in the wind.
And finally, they stood in front of the many colorful displays of vendors and people, most of which being their own classmates.
The shopkeepers were calling out their products, advertising for more people to come and check out their wares as the two Slytherins walked through the crowd. Unfortunately, Sebastian was only looking for one particular thing - er, person - people. He was definitely looking for more than one person as they shuffled through the crowd.
And it definitely wasn’t a black haired girl in Ravenclaw robes. Nope, not just her, but for his sister as well.
With that thought, worry ebbed at his nerves. What if Anne had one of her coughing fits again? Would Sienna know what to do? What if it hurt her too much being here? Merlin, perhaps they shouldn’t have done so much convincing to let Anne come.
“Sebastian!” Ominis grabbed his arm then, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I think I hear them to the left.”
“The left?”
“Yes, I recognize Anne’s laugh.”
Ominis pulled Sebastian toward wherever it was he heard the sound. The crowd of people dispersed as they moved closer to the outskirts of the festival and toward a gathering of tables. He recognized a lot of their schoolmates and immediately felt more at ease. At a circular, wooden table sat Anne with a few Slytherin girls.
“Anne!”
“Sebastian!” she stood up abruptly to rush over and hug him. She flashed him a devious grin. “Did you get distracted with all of the flowers on the way here?”
She was in a dark green dress, a crown of little daisies atop her head, the white petals contrasting well against her brunette hair. She looked better than she’d ever been. It gave him great joy to know she was able to mingle with their schoolmates again. “You look lovely,” he said, before rolling his eyes. “And yes, Ominis made sure I knew exactly how late we were.”
But someone was missing as he scanned over the girls gathered at the table.
“Where’s Sienna?”
“She wanted to thank Sirona for her dress,” said Anne.
“A dress?” Sebastian repeated, the concept foreign to him. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Sienna in a dress? Why, that ought to be a sight to see!”
Anne wore a coy expression. “It certainly is.”
And then he looked around again, having forgotten this was a school event outside of Hogwarts. It meant they weren’t required to wear traditional school robes so everyone was dressed up very nicely for the occasion. A lot of the girls wore flowers in their hair, or had flower bracelets adorn their wrists. The guys shuffled around awkwardly in jumpers or an ironed button up, their hair styled in a variety of ways they were no doubt testing out.
He couldn’t imagine bookish Sienna wearing anything other than her school robes. She studied in them, ate in them, and even dueled in them. He doesn’t remember the last time she’d ever been outside of her school uniform and realized her actual form was still quite a mystery to him.
She was short, that much he knew.
They often had their noses deep in ancient texts or were so preoccupied fighting Rookwood’s lot, or were very heatedly having discussions that he just never bothered to actually notice.
Not that it was important but just a curious observation.
“Ominis!” Anne practically jumped with joy at the sight of the blonde Slytherin beside him. She immediately stretched her arms out to hug him. “It is so good to see you!”
“You, as well,” he said, returning her affection. “How has the event been treating you?”
“Oh, it’s incredible. It’s such a nice break from being stuck inside of Feldcroft all day.” Suddenly, she buried her head in the crook of her elbow to cough.
Both Ominis and Sebastian looked at her warily, their hands hovering nearby in case she needed any aid. But she waved them both away.
“We should search for Sienna, so she knows you two are here.”
Sebastian nodded, but watched his sister with the utmost care. If anything were to happen to her here, he would never forgive himself.
The trio of Slytherins walked back to the crowd of customers and vendors, getting distracted by the assortment of gadgets at certain shops. Anne and Ominis were certainly having a lot of fun together, as she grabbed a nearby musical trinket and performed a poor version of a child’s lullaby for him. Ominis clapped graciously though as she bowed and thanked her “audience” for listening. Sebastian groaned but chuckled when she playfully shoved at him for his “lack of musical taste.”
It felt nice. It felt like things were back to normal, like nothing had changed between them.
They finally found Sirona’s shop set up on the exact opposite side from where they had first found one another. It couldn’t be farther away.
“Hello there,” she greeted them when they walked up to the counter. Tables were set up outside of her makeshift shop and there were lots of customers enjoying a butterbeer, her signature drink. “What can I get for you guys?”
“I’ll have a butterbeer,” Ominis requested. “Actually, make that three butterbeers. My treat.”
“Oh, Ominis, you don’t have to,” Anne said, but he made a noise shushing her and she grinned widely.
“You haven’t had a butterbeer in almost a year. It’s my pleasure.”
And as Sebastian watched his sister and Ominis interact, he couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel, almost. Had he missed something between the two of them?
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the oblivious pair and then Sirona inquired, “You haven’t found your little Ravenclaw friend yet?”
“We were actually hoping she was with you,” Anne replied, watching Sirona make the butterbeers with an efficiency only the best barkeep could muster up in Hogsmeade. Especially when the establishment received so many students eager to try her iconic drink.
“No, she left here about thirty minutes ago. I actually sent her on a scavenger hunt.”
“A scavenger hunt?” Sebastian asked, and Sirona passed all three of them their drinks. Ominis handed her the galleons for it and they settled in at the bar counter rather than find a seat elsewhere.
Sirona had a sparkle in her eye. “Yes. I told her there were blue roses in the northeastern part of the meadow.”
Sebastian took a sip of his drink, and scoffed. “There’s no such a thing as a blue rose.”
The barkeep leaned against the countertop. Winked at him. “Well, not a naturally growing one, of course. But right at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and the meadow, some of the magic bleeds right into their roots and changes their color. It’s quite rare to find, but I managed to see one every year I attended the Spring Festival at Hogwarts. I considered myself rather lucky.”
Anne and Ominis hummed in amazement. Sirona went to serve her other customers and Sebastian dazedly sipped at his butterbeer, thinking about how Sienna would no doubt be fascinated by a magical rose as well as be on the hunt for one. She was easily sidetracked and would lose track of time trying to find it.
It was her first Spring Festival, after all. And the thought came to him slowly, but once it did, he knew he had to follow through with it.
He wanted her to remember this event.
And not only that, he wanted to buy her a gift as a sort of appreciation for all the times she helped him research or try to find a cure for Anne.
His eyes scanned the shops around them as the duo beside him were engrossed in conversation, looking for some sort of inspiration for a souvenir to buy for her. It had to be perfect.
A vendor three shops down was selling jewelry. His products sparkled in the sunlight and it looked as though his products were Hogwarts themed. Abandoning his butterbeer, he muttered, “I’ll be right back,” to the other two who were caught up in Hogwarts gossip.
“Where are you going?” Anne asked.
“Just a bit further down,” he answered, already sliding off of his seat. “You can have the rest of my butterbeer.”
“Gladly,” she uttered. And then he was walking toward the vendor’s shop. The seller was lanky and tall, with a bushy mustache that practically hid his entire mouth. A person Sebastian didn’t normally expect to be selling such delicate pieces of jewelry.
There were pins, necklaces, bracelets, charms of all colors and crystals and sizes. Rings with amethyst, fluorite, diamond. Pins of all of the Hogwart Houses’ animals in different shades of color. A vibrantly red lion had an equally vibrant pink lion. A navy blue raven could also be teal. The shopkeep peered at him with an appraising eye.
“Looking for anything specific, my boy?”
“Just browsing for a friend,” he said, his eyebrows pulling together as he contemplated what Sienna would like best. There were neutral animals as well, such as owls, cats, and frogs. Things that could match her patronus. Hers was a wildcat.
“And is your friend a witch or a wizard?”
Sebastian looked at the man who had a knowing look on his face. Though Sebastian was certain he could figure out something for himself, he decided to humor him. “A witch.”
The shopkeep looked quite smug then and it made Sebastian shift nervously between his feet. He then directed Sebastian’s eye to a set of bracelets at the far edge of the table. “These are very popular with witches. They come with smaller charms on them and they’re made with a bit of goblin silver so they won’t require any cleaning and won’t strip with wear.”
And they truly did seem like something she would like. The silver chain was thin and delicate but because it was infused with goblin silver, he knew it was hardy. And in some way, he felt it resembled her.
She may look timid though she was anything but.
He stood there, intensely studying each bracelet. It would only make sense to buy her the Ravenclaw charm bracelet as it was her own House. The little Raven with a tiny bit of sapphire embedded into it called out to him as he reached his hand toward that one.
“Surely, you aren’t thinking of buying her her own house bracelet?”
Anne leaned beside him to survey the bracelets while Ominis stood beside her.
A twitch of irritation came over him at his sister’s sudden criticism. But really, it was just because he was mildly embarrassed at his own choice. Was it wrong? Too much? Not enough? “It would only make sense seeing as how she is a Ravenclaw.”
But she just shook her head and tsked at him, disappointedly. She pointed at the bracelet next to it. The one with the snake charm with bits of emerald intertwined with the silver.
“You want me to buy her a Slytherin bracelet?” he asked, dumbfounded. “Wouldn’t that be a bit unusual? It isn’t even her house.”
“The snake charm would be more sentimental,” Anne said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “After all, she’s made good friends with you two Slytherins.”
“Ominis?”
The blonde placed his hand underneath his chin, thoughtfully. “I agree with Anne. To be quite honest, I think Sienna wearing more Ravenclaw gear would just be distasteful.”
Two against one. But something about buying her a bracelet with a snake on it seemed… forward. Personal. Maybe he was overthinking it.
“Trust me,” Anne continued. “The snake would represent all of us.”
But he recognized that familiar glint in his twin’s eye, the all-knowing expression and he chose not to think about it too deeply when he bought the Slytherin bracelet. But he knew in the back of his mind what it would look like.
It would look like Sienna was romantically his, like a personal symbol to everyone else that she belonged to him. Like maybe they were together.
No. His face flushed as the shopkeep packaged the gift up for him. It would represent all of them, like Anne said it would.
But there was a sort of pleased feeling that Sienna would be wearing something that represented him.
All of the blokes that swooned over her would see it and immediately understand he had given it to her.
He couldn’t help but think about her as the trio continued walking in search of her. They spent so much time together this past year that it would be quite odd for anyone to not find them together. And if any other guy were to come around and try to steal her away, he had a tendency to become a bit petty with them, despite his rational mind telling him it was just an overreaction, and that Sienna was closest with him.
But deep, deep down he knew why.
He liked being selfish with her. Liked all of her attention on him, even if he felt crazy for it. She didn’t owe him anything. She wasn’t obligated to spend time with him at all.
But everytime she paid any attention to some other chap who was very obviously flirting with her, he had the strongest urge to pull her to him.
And they don’t really touch each other, not really, no.
So he didn’t understand the feeling that came over him that made him feel absolutely insane.
The fact of the matter is that she wasn’t his.
Perhaps he was just a naturally territorial person then. He did care rather deeply for his sister and Ominis, for they were the two closest people in his life and after losing his parents… Well, he’s learned to hold the ones he loved a little closer to his heart. And she was certainly getting there, having peeled back layer after layer of his surface level personality over the months. He’s shared things with her he hasn’t even told Anne, nor Ominis.
Being with her was easy. He felt like he could drop the weight of his worries when he was with her sometimes. When they weren’t focused on Rookwood or on Anne, as guilty as that made him feel sometimes.
Her presence was calming and maybe that’s why he wanted to keep her so close to him.
She kept his anger at bay, quelled his fears about not being able to cure Anne, talked him through his ideas and theories and it was okay.
It was like everything made sense when she was around. Everything felt right again.
On the way to the northeast part of the meadow, Anne had a sudden coughing fit. She doubled over in pain, and Sebastian held her, worry etched across his face.
“Are you alright? Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m - ” she coughed again, Ominis and Sebastian exchanging worried looks.
“I’ll go grab some water,” Ominis said, firmly. “Do not move. Stay right where you are.”
“I’m - ”
“Don’t you dare say you’re fine,” Sebastian said between clenched teeth.
She fixed him with a defiant expression, one he only recognized too well as his own. Taking a deep breath in, she pointed toward a wooden bench along the dirt path. “There. I’ll rest right over there so there’s no need to fret over me.”
“Anne.”
“Sebastian.”
He sighed, frustrated. “Honestly, we shouldn’t have convinced Uncle Solomon to let you come.” As much as he hated the idea of his uncle proving his point, deep down he knew it would be the safest for her to be at home, away from so much activity. “Maybe this was a mistake.”
“This was no mistake, Sebastian,” she scowled. “I willingly chose to come here.”
At Sebastian’s frown, she continued, “Please, don’t ruin this for me. It’s so rare since I’ve been to a Hogwarts event.”
“Fine,” and he helps her over to the bench where they sit and wait for Ominis to return.
Ominis had moved quickly and showed up with a giant mug of water. She took the mug from him and swallowed down the water, relieving her throat of any dry pain from her coughing.
“See? A bit of water was all I needed.”
Sebastian made a disgruntled noise as Ominis sat beside Anne.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright for the rest of the festival?” asked Ominis.
“Yes! I am fine, boys.” The mood was tense between the three of them. “I’ll rest here a bit with Ominis.”
Sebastian raised a brow. “Just Ominis? I’m not leaving your side, Anne.”
“You must. You should go find Sienna, I’m sure she’s been waiting for us to find her.”
“I’m sure she’s probably more preoccupied with hunting a blue magical rose,” he muttered, half-joking.
“Don’t be so stubborn, Sebastian. Ominis and I will be right here. You can find her and bring her back to us.”
He sighed at his own sister’s hardheadedness. “Fine. But don’t leave this spot.”
“We’ll be right here, when you return.”
Sebastian reluctantly left them on the bench, having to resist the urge to look back every so often, just to put his own mind at ease. With Ominis, she will most likely be alright. Ominis was probably just as concerned as he was, after all.
The trail started to fade as it led him further and further away from the boisterous center of the festival. Students were frolicking in the wide, open meadows and scattered in groups among the grass. Eventually, the presence of other students grew more sparse and he eventually found himself with no trail to follow.
A large clearing welcomed him and he stood at the very edge of it, gazing out at the sea of flowers. Shades of purple, pink, red, and yellow scattered in clusters along the ground and filled the air with a lovely floral scent. Splotches of color over an abundance of lush, green grass. A fresh spring breeze picked up just then.
And in the middle of it all, he saw her.
And she’s absolutely breathtaking. More than any exquisite, magical flower he’d ever laid eyes on.
All of the vivid colors of the meadow fade away around her.
He sucked in a breath and his palms are sweaty and he feels ridiculous standing there gawking at her. Like he’s the most insignificant thing in the universe right now.
Her black hair cascaded in lovely curls down her back and she’s looking down to examine a blooming rose, her head tilted just slightly. There are little white and yellow daisies intertwined in her hair. Like stars against a dark night sky.
And Merlin help him, she’s in a dress.
The fabric is snug against curves he’d never noticed under her Ravenclaw robes before. It’s flush against her skin, creasing and folding in all of the right places, places he’s certain other blokes would just love to smooth out for her. The dress perfectly compliments her skin and the way it just naturally glides down along the dip in her waist to her hips -
He’ll never be able to look at the color lavender the same again.
His throat felt dry and regretfully, he wished he had taken a swig of Anne’s water.
A moral dilemma. That’s what this was.
She was his friend, for Merlin’s sake. It’s just Sienna. The new fifth year. The Ravenclaw fourth to their Slytherin trio. A research partner, a dueling partner. Someone who had believed in his search for a cure for Anne’s curse. Someone who he had wanted to protect from Rookwood’s lot and from monsters in the Forbidden Forest.
They had never done anything more beyond that. Like held hands, or hugged beyond a friendly level, or even been anywhere physically close to one another.
They weren’t anything more than friends.
So why, oh why, was he feeling like a complete sap right now?
She knelt down suddenly, and Sebastian had decided that no, this was not entirely a moral dilemma.
He’s been cursed. And wrongfully so. It’s as if the gods themselves decided to wake up today and test his self-control. Her curves are even more prominent when she’s knelt down like that and a growing heat pools in his abdomen. And to think, she’d been fighting and studying beside him all along looking like that underneath her robes…
He felt absolutely duped.
He needed to think about charms. No, something more complex than that, before his mind started to wander places he’d never even dared to think about.
Arithmancy. That’d be much better.
She stood so abruptly now, that for a second, he feared she could have somehow sensed his thoughts. Like a deer who’s picked up on the scent of another animal.
She somehow, instinctually, turned exactly to where he’d been standing at the edge of the meadow, fidgeting with his collar.
He felt like a creep, like all of the other lads unworthy of her attention until she beamed a wide smile at him. And then suddenly he was the luckiest guy alive to have her look at him like that, and nobody else. She waved him over but his feet were lead and he felt lightheaded. Like he was floating.
His throat is still parched.
And yet somehow, he was able to gather the nerves to walk over to her, trying to shake off a bit of the anxiety with every step.
Say something, you fool.
He cleared his throat. “Enjoying the view?”
What a twat.
Sienna looked at him curiously. The sunlight made her brown eyes look like pools of honey and they certainly weren’t helping him stay focused on her words. “I am. Where my sister and I live in London, you never see greenery like this. This is lovely.”
He nodded, aware of the rickety stone buildings clustered so closely in the busy streets of London. Very little green, indeed.
When he didn’t say anything else, she asked, “Are you enjoying the view as well?”
Gods, yes, she’s even more stunning up close and he was glad it was just the two of them here.
“Sebastian?”
What’s gotten into him? He cleared his throat then and attempted to focus on her eyebrows. They’re very nicely shaped. “Why, of course. I apologize, I’m just distracted, is all.”
She laughed then and gestured to the blooming flowers in front of them. “How could you be distracted right now?”
Have you looked at yourself?
He shrugged, feigning casualty. Trying to play it cool. “Well, when you’ve seen it for the last five years, things tend to lose their appeal.”
“I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing the flowers bloom every year.”
With that being said, he could feel the little package in his front pocket pressed more vividly against his chest. The one holding the charm. With the snake.
Perhaps it was a bad idea to let Anne talk him into getting the Slytherin one. After all, how would Sienna perceive it? He would need to do some further explaining before she took it the wrong way.
But a small voice in the back of his mind was nagging at him.
How bad would it be really, if she were to take it the ‘wrong’ way?
He shoved that thought down. Blurted out, instead, “Would you like to take a walk with me?”
“Yes, I’d love to,” and when he held his arm out to her, she looped her own around his and they set off walking through the grassy meadow.
Sebastian was never one to be at a loss of words. His quick wit and clever mind never allowed a moment of complete silence between them. But now, with her arm around his, he couldn’t stop thinking about how soft her body was against his arm. The side of her chest was flush against his elbow and he was growing alarmingly hot in his button up.
Thank Merlin he decided to roll up his sleeves.
“Did you run into Anne, by chance?”
“Erm.” Her voice caught him off guard but he quickly recovered. “Yes. Yes, we did. Ominis and I. She was sitting with some girls from Slytherin at a table.”
Sienna nodded. Then looked sheepishly at him. “I apologize. Initially, I planned on returning back to the table but Sirona informed me about a rare colored rose. It’s supposed to be somewhere further up ahead, in that direction. My curiosity got the better of me.”
“Ah, the blue rose,” he grinned down at her, remembering her little scavenger hunt. “Imbued with magic making it a special find, indeed. Not so different from yourself, is it?”
Her face turned a lovely shade of pink then. “Special is quite a reach.”
“I happen to disagree. Ancient magic is rather hard to come by. I’d say that’s special. Extraordinary, even,” he smirked at her, yet was surprised by his own boldness.
And when her face turned even more red, he felt the urge to keep showering her with compliments just to see her flustered expression. But Sienna managed to calm herself a bit, enough to ask, “So it’s just the ancient magic itself that’s extraordinary then?”
There was a hint of something in her tone, but he couldn’t quite place it. He stopped walking to look at her while she squirmed under his gaze.
And he wanted to tell her no, it was her that was special to him, ancient magic or not. But his throat was still dry from earlier and what came out wasn’t the way his heartbeat sounded like, at all.
The words that came out next were slow, and safe, and calculated.
“No, what’s extraordinary,” he said, the corner of his lip curled up, “is your ability to best me in nearly everything we do. I’m quite confident even without your ancient magic, you’d find a way to defeat me in something.”
She laughed then, something like relief passing through her eyes. She playfully knocked into his shoulder with her own. “Oh, please Sebastian. We both know I don’t have nearly as much ambition as you do when it comes to learning new things. I just have the fortune of natural talent.”
“Even without your so-called ‘natural talent,’ I’m sure you’d find at least one hundred different ways to outdo me in something with all of those textbooks you read. I don’t know how you can hold so much in that brain of yours,” he gently thumped the back of his hand against her forehead, grinning at her.
She gave him an exasperated look then, and he chuckled as she walked ahead of him to a spot below a large, oak tree; its branches and leaves hovering over them like a cloud.
That was a mistake because his eyes were naturally attracted to the curve of her backside and he now wanted to jinx himself. He muttered a curse underneath his breath.
“What are we doing here? I thought you wanted to find this mysterious rose of yours,” he said, watching as she plopped down, almost mulishly onto the grass. Her knees are tucked and folded underneath her. They’re at the edge of a flower bed.
“I’d still like to, but for now, I’m just taking a break. From carrying all this knowledge in my head, you see,” she smiled up at him and patted the spot beside her.
He did as she gestured and leaned against the oak tree behind him, watching her pluck little white daisies from the ground. He tilted his head at her, curious. “Fair enough. What are you doing?”
“I’m making you a flower crown. Do you happen to know if Ominis has one already?”
He huffed a laugh. But looking into her eyes, he instantly sensed that she was serious. “Oh. You really are making one.” She raised her brow at him, as if in a ‘told-you-so’ expression. “Ominis and I don’t need one. None of the other guys were wearing one.”
“That’s because none of the other guys were lucky enough to have someone handbraid them their crowns,” she said, getting to work on the stems of the little daisies. Her eyes were entirely concentrated on her handiwork.
“Anne won’t be needing one,” Sebastian murmured, the thought of his sister sobering his mood.
“I know. I already made hers.”
“And why are you making them by hand? You can simply charm them into the form of a crown, you know.” He took out his wand then, started lazily casting charms in the air. A wispy, blue butterfly started fluttering around them as he controlled its movements. A pop of a wispy flower blooming open. A glowing rabbit hopping in the air. Back to the butterfly again.
“I find this rather relaxing,” she responded. “It’s nice to do things without magic all of the time. Unlike you, I didn’t exactly grow up using magic my whole life.”
He remained silent, remembering her telling him that she thought she held no ounce of magic in her. That she was a squib up until she turned 15 years old.
With his legs outstretched, he settled in beside her, lazily casting charms in the air while she intertwined the stems of the daisies into a sturdy crown. Some of the pieces fell apart, or the stems were too weak, and every now and then she had to start over on a specific section until she felt it was strong enough to hold.
He didn’t understand the inconvenience of not using magic, or why she insisted on redoing the flower braiding over and over when it fell apart. But perhaps it felt more rewarding when it finally did work?
It was a very warm afternoon, despite them being underneath a large shade. Only a slight breeze flew by every so often. It was making him lethargic and he yawned, readjusting himself to become more comfortable under this giant tree. But the wood was hard and no matter which way he slouched, he felt he would suffer a kink in his neck or limbs later. Eventually, he settled for lying down on his side, his hand propping his head up.
“I’m finished with the first one,” she held up the crown excitedly and Sebastian stopped casting charms to admire her creation. She was going to place it on his head just to see how it looked before something else caught his eye.
“Not this one,” he said. “Save it for Ominis. I would prefer those.”
Sienna followed where his finger was pointing. A bed of little, purple irises.
“You don’t want daisies like the rest of us?”
His eyes glance toward her dress. “I want lavender.”
“Hmm,” she mused, oblivious to his reference. Then she used her wand to pluck the irises with magic and levitate them over to her.
“I thought you said it was nice not having to use magic,” he teased.
“For you, I’ll make an exception,” she smirked and as a surprise to them both, her hand had reached out to brush a bit of hair out of his face as he looked up at her. “Sorry,” she muttered, looking away quickly.
He didn’t stop to think too hard about what to say, or else he might fumble. “While my locks are as lovely as these flowers, do be sure you are plucking just the flowers.”
She rolled her eyes then, and with a slight smile, said, “Sorry, can’t help it. You just blend in extremely well with the scenery. What with your brown hair and green bits of color on your clothing, as you know.”
That only made him grow more bold though, as he replied, “Really? Well, allow me to help you not make the mistake.”
And against his better judgment, against the way his heart was racing painfully loud in his chest, and the newfound fear of being rejected by her, he positioned his head into her lap and closed his eyes. He was being a coward, he knew it. He didn’t want to risk seeing her reaction - the consequences of his action. Partly because he could understand how forward this was - they’ve never done anything like this ever. The other part was just so shocked at how soft she was. Her dress felt as smooth as silk. He could feel everything through the thin fabric though; the slight movement of her stomach as she breathed, the crook of her abdomen, and how soft and cushioning her thighs felt.
It was his first time being this close to a girl, ever.
And the way it made his mind instantly start wandering. His curiosity was going rampant. He wanted to know what it was like to touch her skin, to run his hands along her upper thighs, underneath her dress. Just to know what it was like, to know what she felt like. Unwillingly, he imagined what it’d be like to put his mouth on her thighs. His face was so close already.
He never imagined it’d be this intoxicating being near to a girl. So near to her.
He had to focus, and really focus, on his breathing and staying calm. His eyes remained closed and he hadn’t realized Sienna didn’t even say anything the moment his head hit her thighs.
Was she put off by this? Too scared to tell him to get off? Or was she okay with this? Was this alright?
He should ask. He had been taught to ask, it had been repeatedly emphasized by his parents during childhood to ask questions. To find out. To seek that which you do not know.
But this was so far from what he was used to.
She wasn’t simply a book he could quickly skim. He couldn’t skip past all of the pages, right to the end, just to find out the conclusion. This wasn’t a new spell he had learned, the comfort of channeling magic as natural to him as breathing. Nor was it a question in class, the guarantee that the professor would give you an exact answer for how to solve your confusion. Not something so cut and dry.
No, he didn’t want to simply ask and find out.
He was afraid that if he asked, and she said yes, he would have a never-ending list of questions for her. Could he place his hand there? What about there? Is here okay?
Could he kiss her? Taste her? Would that be okay?
No, Sienna was uncharted waters for him and he would drown himself trying to explore every last inch of her - her body, her mind. His interest in her would never stop and that was the very thing he was afraid of. The reason he didn’t want to even start to ask her anything was because he was afraid of wanting more.
And he knows, as well as anyone else close to him, that his curiosity can be insatiable at times.
The motion of her hands moving brushed against the side of his head, shifting his hair around. She returned to braiding the purple flowers but she was moving slower this time, almost carefully.
After a tense amount of time, she finally stopped moving. And then her hands were brushing into his hair, her fingers lacing through strands and it felt so damn good. He wanted to push further against her, just to feel more of her touch.
“Your hair’s grown much longer,” she said, by way of explaining what she was doing.
“Mm,” he said, turning his head into her thigh more, breathing in her scent. “Haven’t had very much time to cut it, given that we’ve been fighting for our lives this past year while balancing schoolwork.”
She laughed a little. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He could feel her hands shake a little when they ran through his hair again, and she paused for a moment. “I finished the flower crown.”
“Did you?” he stalled, trying to buy more time in her lap.
“I did,” she said, and then leaned over him, closer. Much too close. His eyes fluttered open and were met with her big, brown ones. A smirk teased at the corner of her lips. “So you can stop using me as a pillow now, Sebastian.”
“Very well,” he said, and sat up slowly, a bit lightheaded from well, a number of things. “Let’s see what you’ve got for me.”
“Close your eyes.”
He furrowed his brows. “I’ve already seen what it looks like.”
She shook her head, adamantly. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and felt her place the crown on top of his head. When he opened them again, her face was so pure with joy that he didn’t even care what was on top of his head as long as it made her look this happy. He could have a niffler on his head and be content with it.
“I used more than one type of flower. The main color is the purple from the irises but I also braided in a bit of white daisies for a fancier look. You look quite dashing.” And she had a very satisfied smile on her face.
This was the perfect opportunity.
“I also have a gift for you,” he said, feeling nervous again. “Close your eyes.”
She did as she’s told and he reached into his front pocket to pull out the package. Grabbing her left hand, he placed the gift into her palm and told her to open her eyes.
“Oh, Sebastian. The wrapping is so nicely done,” she stared in awe at the packaging.
“Open it,” he beckoned, chuckling to himself because of course she would gush over the way it was packaged.
She pulled the bowstring gently and peeled back the paper. She then folded the wrapping paper as if to save it for later, which she most likely was probably going to do. Knowing her, she’d find a use for it.
And then she opened up the box.
The charm of the bracelet sparkled up at her, the little snake practically twinkling from the sunlight. The bits of emerald incorporated into the silver was prettier than he remembered when he saw it under the dark shade of the tent with all of the other wares.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she breathed, lifting it up from its box. Turning it this way and twisting it just so.
“Anne helped me pick one out for you. Consider it a gift representing all of us since you hang around us Slytherins so often.”
She laughed then. He looked at the bracelet in her hand, “May I?”
Handing the bracelet over to him, he took her left wrist delicately in his hands and fastened the chain around her. After it’s been latched on securely, he found himself not wanting to let go of her hand. Relying on the confidence he had earlier, he played with her fingers and she let him. She let him.
“You seem…” Sienna looked at him quizzically, a soft smile on her face. “You seem different today, somehow.”
“Do I? Perhaps it’s just been a perfect day, one of the most perfect days I’ve had in a long while.” Sebastian admired the charm on her wrist. He loved the way the snake rested just at the edge of her forearm, the way it felt like he was leaving his mark on her for the rest of the world to see. Idly, he thought about how nice it’d be if he could mark her in other ways. He mentally shook the thought from his head. “It’s been a hectic year. I didn’t realize you’d bring so much trouble to Hogwarts.”
She leaned closer to him though, eyes spirited. She was so close he could feel her breath brush against his cheeks. “It’s not entirely my fault. You’re forgetting to mention how often you go looking for trouble. The choice to be my friend was entirely your own.”
He looked down at her and unintentionally held his breath. It would only take two seconds to close the mere distance between them, to feel her lips on his own.
Since when have I ever thought about kissing her?
Since right now apparently, with her hand in his and her in a beautiful lavender dress, and finally away from the adrenaline of exploring caves and old artifacts. When he could finally breathe, and all seemed well, and he could allow the feelings he couldn’t feel this past year to settle in his ribs.
But it was still adrenaline, just a different form of it he wasn’t used to. Didn’t think he could ever get used to it.
And for the first time in his life, Sebastian didn’t know what to do.
“Sebastian!” Her hand suddenly clutched his in a vise-like grip and he practically jumped, her outburst making his heart work double as it stuttered and pounded painfully more than it already had been.
“What?” he gasped. Her face was lit up with bursting excitement and she was peering past him.
“The blue rose! The one Sirona was telling me about! It’s right over there, just at the edge of the clearing. Right by the Forbidden Forest, like she said it would be!”
“Merlin…” Sebastian groaned, his pulse still hammering out at an alarming rate. He dropped his head against her shoulder, and couldn't even concentrate on her great discovery.
He was still processing his own.
He was going to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her.
And then her Ravenclaw nature got in the way and she was more smitten by some magical rose over him.
He couldn’t help but laugh. He shook with laughter, wholeheartedly.
“What is it? What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” he said, as he settled down. He looked up at her then, his nose brushing against her neck, head still on her shoulder. “Shall we go see this rose of yours?”
HIs breath tickled her neck and he could see her visibly stiffen. Could almost feel how fast her pulse quickened from that action alone, and her eyes do that thing where they darken with realization. He recognized it the exact second it happened, and loved the way he could practically see her mind working.
“Oh, erm, yes,” she rushed out. And then they both stood up from their spot below the oak tree. A flower crown of purple irises on his head and a sparkling snake charm bracelet on her wrist.
They made their way over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, pointedly not looking at each other and not touching. There was a solid distance between them. Tangible, even. It’s almost electric, and he felt as though he might burst if they touched.
Finally, the magical blue rose glowed softly below them and they both kneeled down to get a closer look at it.
“It really does exist,” he muttered, admiring the boldness of the blue in the petals.
Sienna shot him an incredulous look. “Did you not think they existed?”
“I - Well, obviously they don’t naturally exist,” he said, covering up the fact that yes, he felt there may have been some other explanation for how Sirona managed to see a blue rose. One he hadn’t dwelled on too much. “But I suppose anything is possible with magic.”
She tentatively extended her arm out to caress the petals between her fingers, as softly as she could. “I think I can feel the magic.”
It looked like any other rose to him, but just blue. He reached out, as gingerly as she did, and felt the other petals. “It feels like an ordinary rose petal.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, gazing down at this rare flower. No doubt her ancient magic made her more attuned to other magic in the world.
He didn’t say anything. Chose to watch her instead, and couldn’t help but feel as if he was watching her with the same sort of look she was gazing down at the flower with.
She was his blue rose. A special find.
His heart ached then, and he wanted to reach out and hold her.
But he couldn’t.
Because they were just friends.
After a few more minutes of Sienna inspecting the rose and its roots, she deduced the Forbidden Forest held so much magic it had seeped into the grounds outside of it. Claimed she could feel it channeling through the roots and there was a connection of some sort under the soil, leading from the forest to this rose.
The pair head back to the festival, after Sebastian mentioned Ominis and Anne were waiting for them on a bench somewhere.
“Oh, Merlin. We got carried away, didn’t we?” she looked sheepishly at him, but he simply shrugged.
“If I recall correctly, they should be - ” He stopped completely. His voice goes flat. “Not here.”
The bench he had left them at was currently empty, and he couldn’t really blame them. He and Sienna had been gone for almost an hour and a half. But now he was worried if Anne was alright.
“Hey,” Sienna placed a hand on his arm. “She’s with Ominis, so I’m certain she’s okay.”
Was his worry that obvious? “I know, I just.” He sighed. “Yes. You’re right.”
“They probably returned to the first location, with all the tables and Hogwarts students.”
He nodded, allowing her to lead him there. There’s less of a crowd now that the festival was in full swing, and Sebastian couldn’t help but notice the amount of boys openly ogling the Ravenclaw by his side.
It triggered something sharp in him.
He wanted to put his arm around her and hold her to his side, to hide her away from the rest of their eyes so she could only be seen by him. Instead, all he can do is glare sideways at them and mentally throw jinxes and hexes and curses their way.
Their hands brush against one another while walking, their fingers grazing just so. He wondered if she felt it too.
The tables were just up ahead and that’s when Sebastian heard it. A low whistle from somewhere off to the side and he could practically feel their eyes on her now, as if he wasn’t standing right beside her. In an almost low growl, he turned toward her and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Their lower halves were completely flush against one another. Too intimate to be considered friendship, at least to the watchful eyes on them.
“Sebastian!” She gasped, “What are you - ”
His hand slid up to the side of her face, inches away from her blushing cheeks. Her mouth shut nervously and her eyes fluttered tightly shut, not understanding what he was doing.
Sebastian felt the attention from the boys around them dissipate, their disappointment radiating off of the fact she was clearly taken by this Slytherin. And even worse because it was Sebastian Sallow, one of the strongest duelists at their school.
He picked at a loose piece of pollen in her hair and held it up for her to see. “You had something in your hair.”
His hand was still resting on the small of her back, heating up her skin through the delicate dress. The slender curve of her lower back made him want to run his hands down.
“Oh, thank you,” she murmured, looking disconcerted and flushed.
“Oi!” Only a short distance ahead, Anne and Ominis were walking toward them. Anne’s brows were raised.
Out of nowhere, a gangly Gryffindor entered their space. It was Leander, with the audacity to approach them. Sebastian’s arm tightened further around her waist. Out of all of the guys in their school year, it just had to be blasted Prewett.
“Hello, Sienna.” Leander turned slightly toward Sebastian, still never fully taking his eyes off of the Ravenclaw. “Sallow.” He dipped his head in greeting. “I would just like to say you look very lovely today, Sienna. I’ve never seen you in… a dress. Well, in anything other than your robes.” He laughed, a sort of nervous and awkward sound. He kicked at the dirt ground and shuffled his weight from one foot to the other.
If Leander continued standing here for just another second more -
His eyes zeroed in on her wrist now. “What is that? A snake?”
Sienna held her wrist up for him to see, and her smile dusted away Sebastian’s upcoming hostility toward Leander. “Yes. Isn’t it quite pretty?”
The Gryffindor’s eyes squinted at it and his brows knitted together, as if it was too hard for him to think. Sebastian lightly scoffed at him.
“But… You’re not in Slytherin.”
Before Sebastian could open his mouth to make some sarcastic reply, Anne and Ominis closed the distance and stood beside them. Anne grinned coyly, “She’s not, but Sebastian bought it for her. Isn’t it lovely? I think it suits her very well.”
“He… did, did he?”
Leander then excused himself, walking away like a dog with his tail between his legs.
Ominis tilted his head, graciously. “Sienna. We have gone this whole festival without running into one another.”
“Ominis,” she replied in greeting. “I had been rather distracted by the Sallow twins. Anne for the morning, and Sebastian in the afternoon.”
He chuckled. “Your presence will be greatly welcomed as a nice break from these two then.”
Anne made a jokingly hurt expression. “Was I that bad for you, Ominis? I felt that you rather missed my jokes. I even bought you another butterbeer to return the favor.”
“I appreciate it,” he said again. “And I’m not sure if telling the first years there’s a ghost in the girls’ lavatory is a joke, so much as it is another rumor to be spread.” But the corners of his mouth lift slightly. “After all, it’s Sebastian and I who will have to deal with the first years being too scared to use the lavatory after today.”
Anne let out a laugh but a cough escaped her shortly after, and everyone’s hands were raised as they hovered over her.
“Are you alright?”
“Do you need me to fetch more water?”
“Can you stand? There’s an empty table right over there.”
“I’m fine,” Anne said, indignant, waving them all away. “Just a regular cough. Not the curse,” she clenched her teeth in a smile but it looked more like a grimace. Sebastian and Sienna exchanged looks, and something sad yet happy sunk into Anne’s bones. “Let’s just get on and enjoy the rest of the festival, yes? Before I have to go back to miserable, old Feldcroft.”
They hesitantly agreed, and started to walk toward the flower competition that was going on. Whoever could put together the most extravagant bouquet was the winner, and the prize was fertilizer, seeds, and tools for gardening.
Ominis and Sienna walked just a bit further up ahead as Anne slowed down, just trying to catch her breath. Sebastian slowed his pace with her, to be beside her in case she needed any help.
Anne walked a little more slowly, just enough to be barely out of earshot of the oblivious Slytherin and Ravenclaw in front of them. The two were having a discussion about which flowers were edible and which weren’t when Sienna suddenly remembered the flower crown of daisies she made for Ominis. She placed it on Ominis’s head, and he looked quite stately then, like a young prince of Gaunt. The snake pendant sparkled in the light when Sienna raised her arms up.
“Don’t you ever doubt my gift giving capabilities ever again,” Anne muttered proudly.
Sebastian glanced sideways at his sister, refusing to let her be so smug. “She’s in Ravenclaw. She has no ties to Slytherin either. Her family’s half-Gryffindor, half-Ravenclaw.”
“Hmm,” Anne mused, still wearing that superior expression on her face. “It was more on your behalf than hers, anyway.”
He looked at her warily.
“Your jealousy is written all over your face! I assumed you’d be more at ease if she had something very obviously from you to show off to the other guys,” Anne snickered. “As gross as it is that she’s somehow taken an interest in you, it does make it rather entertaining.”
“I am not jealous,” he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. And then - “Wait, you think she’s interested in me? Truly?”
Anne shook her head, rolling her eyes. “You are most welcome.”
He scowled then, her arrogant comment awakening ages-ago bickering from when they were children. “Once again, I am not jealous. I have nothing to be jealous about.”
And then Sienna turned back around to look for them, probably wondering why it was so quiet with just her and Ominis talking. The Sallow twins had lagged behind a bit and Sienna gave them both a confused smile. Head tilted and eyes fixed on the both of them, she called out, “We’re going to be late if you two don’t hurry.”
Ominis muttered under his breath, “Not again, Sebastian…”
Sebastian picked up his pace then, eyes never leaving Sienna’s face. Her honey-brown eyes, full lips curved up in a smile, long black hair flowing over her bare shoulders in a captivating shade of lavender. And the bracelet gleaming back at him.
She was enchanting.
He was awestruck.
“Nothing to be jealous about, eh?” Anne said, passing by him with a smug expression.
He opened his mouth to dispute it, but now he really was going to make them late again as Anne caught up to the other two.
But the most important thing right now was his twin sister. Finding a cure for her curse.
He couldn’t be distracted by whatever mixed emotions he was feeling for Sienna. No, it would have to wait.
How much longer though?
When it was something he wanted, he knew he could be very impatient. Trying any and all means to get to it.
Maybe not that long, he realized, recalling the Dark Relic he read about in Salazar Slytherin’s book. Yes, that’s right. The text said it had great power with the cost of a sacrifice.
He hurried over to them, grinning widely when they teased him about making them late to the bouquet competition.
Perhaps he wouldn’t have to wait much longer.