#corinnewrites

[accio-bagel]

shout out to my hilarious and talented friend @theladyofshalott1989 for writing this epic poem to go with my silly Seabasstian doodle 🐟💀

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With a Dark Magic book, So I spread the Unforgivables Around the school like a crook." (Or, Sebastian Sallow is The Pout-Pout Fish.)

[ read it on AO3 ] 🐟

Deep in the dungeons Where the Slytherins lie Lives a Dark Magic boy Who (probably) needs a good cry.

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With a Dark Magic book, So I spread the Unforgivables Around the school like a crook."

"Crucio, Imperio, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Along comes a new kid  With Ancient Magic divine And a mission of their own That their pal thinks is "just fine."

"Hey Dark Magic boyo, With your Dark Magic book Would you help me with my quest? Here, take a look!"

Says the boy to his friend, "Nice thought, new kid. I hear what you're saying, I'll do it; you're definitely not mid." 

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With a Dark Magic book, So I spread the Unforgivables Around the school like a crook."

"Crucio, Imperio, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Along comes the boy's uncle He stomps through the field His angry face on full display, shouting, "ANNE CANNOT BE HEALED!"

"Hey Dark Magic boyo With your Dark Magic book, I'm gonna report you to the Ministry Don't act so shook."

Says the boy to his uncle, "You jerk! I DON'T agree! I'm gonna kill you, It's entirely up to me."

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With a Dark Magic book, So I spread the Unforgivables Around the school like a crook."

"Crucio, Imperio, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

(Uncle's dead.)

Along comes the boy's twin sister, Anne, His kindred spirit, still quite sick. She is sad, she is mad, She is one powerful chick.

Says the boy to his sister, "Anne, I can cure you! Please let me try." "YOU'VE MADE YOUR CHOICE!" She yells back. (Bye-bye, book.)  Boy screams, "NO, ANNE!!! WHY???"

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With no more Dark Magic book, But I'll still spread the Unforgivables Around the school like a crook."

"Crucio, Imperio, AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Along comes the Ministry With their dementors most foul, Stealing souls and breaking hearts They'll really make you howl. 

"Hey, Dark Magic boyo Let us tell it to you straight. Your Dark Magic meddling Is an unattractive trait."

Says the boy to his captors, "Ministry, get WRECKED! With a power like mine I'm more than just inept."

"I'm a Dark Magic boyo With no more Dark Magic book, But I'll still spread the Unforgivables Around the WIZARDING WORLD like a crook."

"Crucio, Imperio, AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

Now along comes his old friend, The Ancient Magic kid. The Ministry has never seen before Such amazing skills (Merlin forbid)!"

New kid approaches Dark Magic boyo But instead of saying hey...

They use Ancient Magic Throw  On the Ministry and its dementors And then they bolt away.

Dark Magic boyo is most astounded; Dark Magic boyo is just aghast! He is stone-faced like a statue Then he blinks, and speaks at last:

"New kid!" yells Sebastian Sallow, "I should have known it all along. I thought I needed Dark Magic, But it turns out I was wrong."

"I'm an Ancient Magic lover With an Ancient Magic Kid, We can cure Anne together Because look what YOU did!"

"So I'll not call you ignorant Because that would be dumb. Join me, my friend, And we'll be more than just ho-hum."

(And they lived happily ever after, THE END.)

[theladyofshalott1989]

🕷️ Spider Monkey 🐒

Sebastian Sallow & Damien Evans (Male MC) Fluffy Drabble

Sebastian was well and truly trapped, held captive by his own doing, per usual.

Damien hadn’t slept in three days, too preoccupied with worrying over their upcoming N.E.W.T.s, so Sebastian, the more adept of the two at potions, had taken it upon himself to brew him a Dreamless Sleep Potion.

What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was Damien knocking it back while Sebastian was in the loo.

He’d been hoping to make good use of having Damien’s room to themselves for once, but so much for that.

“Damien, love,” Sebastian murmured, trying, probably in vain, to rouse him from his slumber. “I have class soon.”

Damien answered with a soft, utterly unconcerned snore.

Damn.

Well… maybe missing class wouldn’t be the worst thing. Now that he’d adjusted to the solid warmth of Damien sprawled over him, it was actually quite nice. Damien’s hair smelled as incredible as ever, like grass after a late afternoon rain, crisp and clean, with a hint of the cool, earthy scent of damp soil. And, come to think of it, Sebastian couldn’t deny the little thrill he got from the ghost of Damien’s curled lip against his neck. Damien often smiled in his sleep, but usually into his pillow, not against him.

Merlin, what would Sebastian do without his ridiculously handsome Ravenclaw?

Probably attend class on time, for one. But really, what was a single lesson in the grand scheme of things when he had Damien warm and content in his arms, smiling in his sleep like he belonged there?

Sebastian exhaled, letting his fingers rest lightly against Damien’s broad back. He should move—he really should—but every time he so much as shifted, Damien only burrowed closer, nuzzling into him with a sleepy sigh.

Well. That settled it, then.

Sebastian would simply have to accept his fate.

*A massive thank you (once again!) to @girl-named-matty for these lovely screenshots. What did I do to deserve your talent, girlie???? You're amazing!

Also, if you're wondering why the title sounds familiar, it's lovingly stolen from Twilight. LMAO. 😙🤌

[ AO3 Link ]

[theladyofshalott1989]

✨ Sweet Dreams 💤 // Soft Sebastian & Damien

Thanks so much to @girl-named-matty for these gorgeous "Soft Sebastien" screenshots. I was so thrilled to receive them last night that I wrote the following before going to sleep. Enjoy <3!

Word Count: 687

[ AO3 Link ]

It was just an ordinary night when Damien came to the unexpected revelation that he wanted—no, needed—to spend the rest of his life with Sebastian.

He had been reading a book in the Ravenclaw common room, Sebastian reclining on his lap. Sebastian’s eyes were firmly shut, his thick eyelashes fluttering as he took a brief rest before heading back to the dungeons. Brief, like always, extended far longer than its true definition. 

Sebastian had been feeling under the weather, so he insisted on sleeping in his own bed tonight. Damien didn’t like that one bit, but he had to appreciate the unsaid implications of that choice: Sebastian didn’t want to get him sick. 

The night had been quiet thus far, merely the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room providing accompaniment to their tranquil repose. 

Between page turns, the parchment rustling between his slender fingers, Damien observed that Sebastian’s breathing had deepened and slowed.

Sebastian was always so calm in the early throes of sleep, before the nightmares came. Unfortunately, they arrived every night like clockwork. Damien’s heart ached for Sebastian each and every time, but more so on the nights Sebastian wasn’t with him, for Damien knew he was facing the horrors alone.

But now, he was peaceful, the slightest upturn to the corner of his lips, as if he were reliving their day together.

It had been just an ordinary day, too, but it was in the ordinary days that Damien saw their future. No life was meant to be lived in an extraordinary way forever. No pleasant life, that is. 

And Damien wished for Sebastian a pleasant life: one where he didn’t have to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, as the great Shakespeare once wrote. 

Naturally, Damien wished that for himself, too. So, why not live that ordinary life together?

“Damien,” Sebastian murmured, startling him out of his musings. Sebastian’s eyes were still closed. His right leg twitched, then stilled. He was talking in his sleep. 

Damien stopped reading, freeing his left hand from his book. He couldn’t remember the last sentence he’d read anyway, he’d been so lost in thought. 

He reached out and placed his hand delicately on the top of Sebastian’s head, his mop of chestnut brown hair: so thick, so coarse, like a horse’s mane. Damien chuckled under his breath. Sebastian really should take better care of his hair. But that was Sebastian for you. Sometimes he couldn’t be bothered, at least not when it came to himself. 

Sebastian had Damien to look out for him now, to make sure he didn’t miss a meal on the dark days; to talk him down when he stumbled into his weekly rows with Damien’s cousin, Leander; to kiss him under the stars on the nights when he was feeling amorous—which was most nights, if Damien was being totally honest. Not that Damien minded. 

Damien knew he loved Sebastian and that Sebastian loved him. They’d established that wonderful, amazing, glorious fact last year, but had Damien ever imagined there would come a moment—and so soon—just like this one?

Just like Damien’s hand threading through Sebastian’s hair, his breath hitching in his throat as he came to the sudden realization that he wanted to do this forever? He wanted to be with him forever.

Forever with Sebastian Sallow. What a concept. What a dream! Could it really come to pass? 

In the Muggle world, it was a laughable notion. Two men, married, to each other? Heaven forbid!

But here, in the marvelous magical one, there was hope. It was still too soon, of course, and Damien would never presume that Sebastian even wanted to be married, the free spirit that he was. Damien wouldn’t be the one to ask either. That was firmly established. 

But a young man could dream. 

So, Damien kept his hand firmly entwined in Sebastian’s curls, pressed a kiss to the gentle furrow in his brow, took in a deep breath, and, feeling his shoulders loosen fractionally, finally, closed his eyes. 

Damien dreamed. 

[theladyofshalott1989]

"It Was Always You (Or, Fated)" //

Sebastian Sallow x Male MC (Damien Evans)

Sebastian hadn’t grown up in the Muggle world like Damien, where loving another person of the same gender was a crime: an awful, heartbreaking reality. But he had always assumed he’d follow the expected path: a young woman on his arm—he did find women attractive, after all—perhaps even an engagement by seventh year, married the next, children to follow shortly thereafter.

Then along came Damien.

With his mesmerizing golden-brown eyes, his long blond hair tied back: still stunning, but restrained, except when Sebastian asked him to leave it loose, for him. Only for him.

And just like that, all those ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill plans? Up in smoke. Entirely. 

Because the moment when Damien asked Sebastian to kiss him in the Undercroft, the day after that whole horrific ordeal in the Scriptorium, when Sebastian convinced himself that Damien must despise him now, especially after Sebastian cast the Cruciatus Curse on him—well.

Well.

From that moment on, it was only Damien. At least, in his mind. And, yes, in his heart, too. Sebastian struggled with expressing his feelings most of the time, but he knew deep, deep, very deep down, that there was something to the idea of fate.

Not astrology—total bollocks, that—but in the kind of fate that led to moments like this. Like them. Like Sebastian and Damien. Because they were a moment, especially after everything they had endured. After everything Sebastian had done. After everything Damien, against all the odds, had forgiven.

And Merlin, Sebastian had made mistakes. Loads of them. Terrible, nightmarish ones. The kind that still haunted him two years later.

But Damien had stayed. Even when Sebastian ran. Even when he lashed out. The words Why would I listen to someone so ignorant? still echoed in Sebastian’s mind, still haunted him to this day. And yet—

And yet. 

Here Damien was. Still. Holding Sebastian’s face, gazing adoringly into his ordinary brown eyes, while Sebastian lost himself in Damien’s extraordinary ones; golden specks peeking through the brown, teasing him mercilessly.

“What are you thinking about?” Damien asked, his lips perilously close to Sebastian’s, so close that Sebastian could feel Damien’s warm breath caressing his face. 

“Promise you won’t laugh.”

“I can’t guarantee that.”

“Promise, or I won’t tell.”

“Fine,” Damien said, already laughing. “I won’t laugh.” He schooled his expression. It seemed like it was a struggle. 

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, only a little. Teasing. Just teasing. “I was thinking about how it’s always been you," he said.

Damien’s brow furrowed as he dissected Sebastian’s words. “Always been me?” 

Sebastian’s handsome Ravenclaw seemed confused. How could that be? 

“It’s always been you, Damien. I was made for you.” 

There. He said it.

Damien drew in a sharp intake of breath. “Oh,” he murmured, his eyes widening. “Oh.” 

And then.

And then, Damien leaned in and kissed him. Soft at first, like a question. Then deeper, like an answer. 

Sebastian felt it then, felt it in the way Damien trembled against him, in the way the world around them seemed to still, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

If this wasn’t fate, then fate did not exist. And how could this be anything else?

*Thank you so much to @acslytherpuff for these breathtaking screenshots. They truly made my day. <3

[ Read the Like Moths to a Flame series ]

[theladyofshalott1989]

Synopsis: Read the epic tale of Damien Evans, a young orphan (and former Squib), who, through numerous trials and tribulations, learns that a true wizard isn’t measured by the power of his magic, or the seeming lack thereof, but by the strength of his heart.

Featuring… the Keepers as the Muses, the Founders of Hogwarts as the Gods, Death as the Fates, Ranrok and Rookwood as Pain and Panic, Professor Fig as Philoctetes, and last, but certainly not least, Sebastian Sallow as Megara, everyone’s favorite damsel in distress.

COMPLETE

Word Count: 36,441

⚡ [ Wattpad Link ] ⚡ [ AO3 Link ] ⚡

A short excerpt from Ch. 5: "I Won’t Say I’m In Love (Or, Sebastian’s a Goner)" follows:

"So, this is what heroes do on their days off," Sebastian said, inching closer to Damien, each step enveloping him deeper in the fresh scent of the great outdoors, along with a subtle hint of something sweet---perhaps Damien had spent time in the many gardens that surrounded the castle today. Sebastian fought the urge to breathe in deeply, to immerse himself in the intoxicating scent of this young wizard, Damien, Sebastian's Goldenboy.

No, stop! Stop that, Sebastian! He chastised himself fiercely. Sebastian couldn't fall in love with this boy: not now, not ever. His freedom was more important. He could pretend---he had to pretend---but he'd already resolved not to get tangled in any more emotional connections. Look where that had led him before: expelled from Hogwarts, his twin sister and his best friend gone, Sebastian, shunned and exiled, working for Salazar Slytherin himself. Anyway, Damien deserved better.

"I'm no hero," Damien said, toeing the floor with his boot.

Sebastian blinked, suddenly aware of the heat rising in his chest. What was this feeling, so sudden and new?

"Sure you are," he said, mostly to tamp down his confusion, but also because it was true. "Everybody at Hogwarts, everybody in Scotland, I presume, thinks you're the greatest thing since wand holsters were invented---"

He would have gone on, but Damien cut in. "I know." He glanced back up shyly, fiddling with the clasp of his robe. Sebastian couldn't look away. "It's... it's crazy, you know. I can't go anywhere without being mobbed, I mean---"

Aha! Here was Sebastian's chance. He plowed forward before he could second-guess himself. "You sound like you could use a break." He brought his hand up, lifting it to Damien's shoulder and clasping it lightly. Damien's eyes widened at the touch, but he didn't pull away, so Sebastian kept his hand there, savoring the proximity between them.

Oh yes, the sweetness in Damien's scent was definitely flowers. Daffodils. Probably of the honking variety. They may be loud, but it couldn't be denied they had a heady, stimulating aroma.

"Think that professor of yours would lose his wand if you disappeared for a Butterbeer or two this afternoon?"

"A Butterbeer or two?" Damien repeated, his jaw visibly slackening.

"Yes, at the Three Broomsticks. Sirona's an old friend. I could get us a discount, although... your presence alone would probably guarantee us one regardless."

Damien chuckled nervously. "I don't know... Fig's got the rest of my day scheduled out."

Sebastian withdrew his hand and waved it around in the air. "Ah, Fig, Shmig. Just stick close to me. A simple Disillusionment Charm, and we'll be gone before anyone knows we were here."

For the briefest of moments, Sebastian thought his cavalier, devil-may-care attitude hadn't worked. But then, the apples of Damien's cheeks tinged pink. He took a breath, then nodded.

Perfect.

Sebastian grabbed Damien's hand before they both vanished from each other's sight. At least, that's what he told himself. He gave Damien's hand a quick squeeze, just to ensure Damien was ready---no other reason, of course---then Disillusioned himself and made his way toward the exit, Damien's fingers still laced through his.

Sebastian may not permit himself to believe it, but as smitten as he was with Goldenboy, he also couldn't shake the strangest feeling that Damien was going to be the death of him. But he was suddenly so warm and fuzzy inside that the thought fled his mind. Funny sensation, that.

"Should we tell them, Percival?"

Percival clicked his tongue. "Now, now, Niamh. That would be a spoiler. Mum's the word."

"Fine."

I guess we'll merely leave you with this: Sebastian may or may not have been correct.

[theladyofshalott1989]

"When Sledding Goes Wrong… or Very, Very Right?" // Sebastian Sallow x MC Hurt/Comfort

(Another HCU winter one-shot... because I can't be stopped. Apparently. 🤣)

*Note: This was meant to be more HCU-themed, but Sebastian wanted it to be about HIM, naturally, and, since he always gets his way...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Summary: Sebastian has broken his arm, but is he going to tell anyone about it? ...Not unless there's kissing involved.

Word Count: 876

[ AO3 Link ]

Sebastian was fairly certain his arm was broken. Honestly, it wasn’t all that surprising—he and Damien had spent the entire morning sledding, and things had quickly escalated into increasingly risky stunts, especially after Florence, Jaimsen, Poppy, and Tori joined in. Between the sharp turns and wild spins, something like this was bound to happen. But was he going to mention it? Absolutely not.

 “One more run down the hill?” Damien said, the tip of his nose and the apples of his cheeks flushed a delightful pink from the frigid air. 

Sebastian hesitated. As much as he wanted to say yes, the dull throb in his arm made the decision for him. “I think I’ll sit this one out,” he said, dropping into the snow. He maneuvered his arm into what he hoped was a less excruciating position, all while forcing a grin to stay firmly plastered in place.

“Come on, Sebastian!” Poppy shouted from the top of the hill, cupping her hands around her mouth. Tori was beside her, placing the finishing touches on a rather impressive looking snowman. She’d gone so far as to give it a perfectly sculpted mustache. In the words of Tori, it was molto bene. “One more run!” Poppy continued. “Don’t be a coward.” Her grin turned mischievous as she whipped a snowball from behind her back and lobbed it straight at him.

The snowball struck Sebastian squarely in the chest, and he let out a strangled shout. The sudden jolt sent a fresh wave of agony through his arm; he tried and failed to stop his eyes from watering.

Damien noticed. Because of course he did. 

“Sebastian!” Damien called, abandoning his sled entirely. He sprinted down the hill, skidding to a halt only after sending a flurry of snow over Cal and Val, who had been making snow angels on the ground. They yelped indignantly. 

“Poppy, stop it! He’s hurt!” Damien yelled. 

Florence and Jaimsen paused in their climb up the hill as Poppy exclaimed, “Oh no! I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, Sebastian.” Sebastian could’ve sworn he heard Tori mutter under her breath, “He’s probably faking it,” but his arm hurt far too much to argue. 

Sebastian waved Damien off weakly with his good arm. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Damien said, sinking to his knees beside him. His hands fluttered in the air uncertainly for a moment before settling on Sebastian’s shoulder. “I saw your face. You’re in pain.”

Sebastian groaned but didn’t resist as Damien’s fingers moved with practiced care, feeling for injuries. In fact, it felt rather nice. Not that Sebastian would every admit that aloud. When Damien gently touched the back of his head and made steady, piercing eye contact with him, Sebastian bit back a laugh. “Relax, I don’t have a concussion.”

“Where does it hurt?” Damien asked, clearly unamused.

Sebastian sighed. “My arm.”

Damien’s brow furrowed, and he leaned closer, inspecting the awkward angle at which Sebastian cradled his arm. “Why didn’t you say anything? You—”

“Because,” Sebastian cut in, “I didn’t want to ruin the fun.”

Damien tossed him an exasperated look. “You’re truly maddening the majority of the time.” He stood back up and glanced toward the others further up the hill. "Stay here,” he commanded. “I’ll get a Wiggenweld from my satchel, then we can head to the infirmary."

Before Sebastian could argue, Damien was already marching back up the hill, pausing just long enough to fling a snowball of his own at Poppy. “That was for Bash!” he yelled. His throw must have been a force to be reckoned with for Poppy fell backward with a loud oof the instant it made contact with her petite body.  

Sebastian laughed despite himself, which dissolved into a groan as his arm protested. Trust Damien to fuss over him and still find time for revenge. How very typical. 

After a talking down from Tori, Damien returned with a small vial of Wiggenweld in hand. He knelt beside Sebastian, proffering it to him. "This will help," he said.

Sebastian downed the potion in one massive gulp. As the warmth spread from his mouth, down his throat, and finally to his arm, where it settled like a warm blanket, he smiled up at Damien. "Thanks," he murmured.

Damien brushed a stray curl away from Sebastian’s face, tucking it lovingly behind his ear. "Anytime. But," he leaned in, his lips just a breath away from Sebastian’s, "next time, let me know sooner."

The pain in Sebastian’s arm was momentarily forgotten. "Are you going to kiss me now, or make me wait?"

Damien chuckled. "Hm, hard to say," he teased before finally planting a quick peck on Sebastian’s lips.

Sebastian would have pulled him in for a deeper kiss, but Damien jumped away. "Infirmary first. Kissing later."

"Fine," Sebastian whinged, “but I’m holding you to that.” 

“As you should."

“Don’t you forget now.”

Damien mock gasped. “I’d never!”

Merlin, this boy. 

“You two haven’t left yet?” Tori shouted from the top of the hill. “Get a move on!”

“We’re going, we’re going,” Sebastian replied, as Damien helped him to his feet, a sly smile on his face.

Infirmary now, kissing later. It was a plan. Maybe breaking his arm wasn’t such a bad thing after all.  

MCs mentioned:

tori by @espressoristretto-patronum ; val by @savingsallow ; florence & jaimsen by @leaping-toadstool-caps ; cal by @girl-named-matty ; damien evans (my boy) <3

[theladyofshalott1989]

"Pulling Out All the Stops" // A Sebastian Sallow x MC Valentine's Day One-Shot

Summary: Sebastian Sallow has always thrived on a little friendly competition, but romance has never quite been his strong suit. This Valentine’s Day though, he’s set on changing that.

Or, Sebastian does something entirely unexpected. And for love, no less. How positively marvelous.

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 2,890

[ AO3 Link ]

Sebastian Sallow and romance were far from familiar with each other, not that he’d ever minded. That is, until a certain blond haired, golden-brown eyed young man entered his life. A Mr. Damien Evans, of course.

And just like that, Sebastian’s utter lack of a romantic bone in his body became a problem. And a rather significant one at that. Not that Damien would ever say so, but it was almost Valentine’s Day—a thoroughly ridiculous holiday, in Sebastian’s estimation. Still, Damien loved it, so he endured. Last year, Damien had surprised him with not one, not two, but three (annoyingly delightful) gifts, while Sebastian had merely plucked a honking daffodil from one of the many gardens lining the Hogwarts grounds and called it a day. Somehow, Damien hadn’t seemed the least bit put out, but Sebastian had still stewed in guilt for weeks, and guilt was hardly an emotion he was accustomed to.

So this year, Sebastian resolved that he wouldn’t be outdone by his far more thoughtful significant other. No, sir! This time, he was going to pull out all the stops.

Now, if only he had the slightest idea where to start.

“Cass, I need your help!”

This was Sebastian’s third attempt at wrangling assistance from his friends—okay, fine, they were more Damien’s friends than his, but they at least tolerated him, which was close enough.

“Why don’t you just ask Damien what he wants?” Cassie said, barely glancing up from her DADA textbook as she flipped a page.

“Aren’t Valentine’s Day gifts supposed to be a surprise?” Sebastian asked, genuinely uncertain.

“Not necessarily,” Val chimed in from beside Cassie. 

“What are you two doing for your significant others?”

Both girls burst into laughter. Sebastian furrowed his brow. Had he said something funny? Why were they laughing?

After she managed to regain her composure, Cassie finally responded, “It’s the boys who are supposed to do something for the girls, silly.” She paused to tuck a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear. “Alex will probably give me flowers and take me on a romantic stroll somewhere.”

Val rolled her eyes. “That’s so cliché, Cass. Alex needs to up his game, don’t you think?”

“It’s cliché for a reason!” Cassie huffed. “And anyway, I think it’s romantic.”

Sebastian sighed. “Well, seeing as we’re both boys, I don’t think that concept applies. So, what do I do?”

Val rapped the hardest point of her quill against the desk. Tap, tap, tap. She hummed, either deep in thought or perhaps waiting for Sebastian to cave and add a little more… effort. Maybe a please?

Sebastian figured it was worth a shot.

“Val, Cass, please, I’m begging you.”

Cassie and Val exchanged a knowing glance.

“Well,” Val said, smirking, “since you asked so politely, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

“A secret?” Sebastian repeated, perking up. He simply adored secrets.

“Yes,” Val said, her smirk widening. “We overheard Damien telling Tori just yesterday at breakfast that he was hoping you’d bake him some shortbread this year. You do know Damien loves baked goods, right?”

“Of course I do!” Sebastian shot back. He wasn’t a fool; Damien had a well-documented weakness for anything sweet. In fact, why hadn’t he thought of that? 

“Is that all he said?” 

Cassie shook her head. She grinned, downright wickedly. “No, that’s not all…”

“Then what else?” Time was running out. In fact, Valentine’s Day was only a week away! Sebastian silently chastised himself for waiting so long to ask Damien’s friends for help.

Instead of answering, Val and Cassie burst into yet another fit of laughter. Girls were so troublesome. Sebastian found himself very grateful that he’d fallen in love with a boy, even if Damien was decidedly prettier than most.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Sebastian said, growing exasperated. “What else did he say?”

Val leaned back in her chair. “Well, he mentioned something about you getting him a personal item—meaningful, that is. A little keepsake or something that shows you really know him.”

“A keepsake?” He hadn’t the faintest idea what kind of keepsake Damien would want. Damien was so wealthy; surely he already had everything he wanted.  

“Really Sebastian?” Cassie said. “It’s not that hard. Get him something that shows you actually listen to him. You do listen, don’t you?”

Sebastian scowled. “You know I do.”

“Good! Then this should be easy.” 

Sebastian couldn’t mask the panicked expression that abruptly crossed his face. 

“Oh, poor Sebastian,” Cassie drawled, feigning sympathy. “Valentine’s Day really isn’t your thing, is it?”

“Not in the slightest.” Sebastian was surprised he allowed that to slip out. He hadn’t meant to be so honest.

“Well, the good news is that even if you muck it up,” Val said, “Damien will forgive you.” 

“Thank you ever so much for the vote of confidence.”

“Anytime.”

Sebastian crossed his arms and glared at them both. “Well, I would say thanks for the help, but I’m not sure it was worth the effort. And the insults seemed a bit unnecessary.”

“You’re welcome anyway.”

Girls.

One week later, Sebastian found himself pacing the Hogwarts kitchens, keeping a steady eye on the shortbread he had painstakingly baked, with a little help from the house-elves, of course, as it browned in the oven. It was the first time he’d ever baked anything from scratch, and though he’d been worried it would end up in a heap of crumbled dough, the delicate, buttery scent assured him it would be… fine. Hopefully. 

But the keepsake?

That was a different story.

Sebastian had a spark of inspiration the morning after his conversation with Cassie and Val—so perhaps their little discussion had been helpful. Only a little, though.

After running his idea by Jo, the kindest and most generous of their friend group, and getting her assurance that yes, it was indeed a very thoughtful gift, he acted on it before he could second-guess himself. But that didn’t stop the anxiety from creeping in.

Now, as the day had (finally) arrived, his nerves felt eerily similar to when he and Damien had first started seeing each other. What if the gift was too much? Or too little? Worse yet, what if it wasn’t meaningful enough? Or, Merlin forbid, what if Damien didn’t like it at all?

Sebastian swallowed his doubts and patted the small box in his pocket, confirming he hadn’t forgotten it. He’d wrapped it carefully last night with a simple green ribbon—green being Damien’s favorite color and all. 

Speaking of Damien, Sebastian hadn’t seen him since yesterday morning, which was highly unusual. He had even stopped by the Ravenclaw common room last night to give him a good-night kiss, but Damien hadn’t been there. Alyn had been though, and not even she could tell Sebastian where Damien was. Sebastian very much hoped that Damien was alright. He wasn’t one to disappear for long stretches of time. At least not without telling Sebastian where he was going.

Where could he be? 

Sebastian sighed. Maybe Damien had planned something… something that didn’t involve him? The more he considered it, the more Sebastian’s thoughts spiraled. What if Damien didn’t feel the same way anymore? What if he was avoiding him for a reason? 

Just as Sebastian was about to open the oven, he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps. His heart skipped a beat. 

“Sebastian?” a dulcet baritone voice called from the opposite side of the room. 

Sebastian turned. Standing in the doorway was Damien, looking just as tall, lightly tanned, and handsome as always. 

“Damien!” Sebastian nearly stumbled forward, but somehow managed to stand his ground. “Where have you been? I came looking for you last night, you know.”

Damien tossed him his customary lopsided grin, his one dimple on full display. “I’ve been around. Just needed some space, that’s all.”

Sebastian frowned. “Space?”

Damien nodded as he made his way over to Sebastian. “Yes. Space. I’ve been thinking about... a lot of things. But mostly about you. And today.” He glanced down at the counter where a house-elf must have just set the shortbread, because, to Sebastian’s complete astonishment, it was now out of the oven, cooling there.

Damien’s eyes lit up. “Bash! Is this for me?”

“It’s… erm, well, yes. I hope it tastes alright.”

Damien leaped forward, wrapped his long arms around Sebastian, and lifted him effortlessly into the air. The move was so sudden that Sebastian didn’t even have the chance to balk in protest. Which he would have. Yes. Absolutely. 

"I’m sure it will taste amazing!” Damien exclaimed. “Thank you."

Sebastian felt a rush of warmth spread through him, and a growing tightness in his trousers. He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the feeling. As Damien gently set him down, Sebastian met his gaze—a telltale flush was now creeping up Damien’s cheeks. Excellent. 

“It’s a bit warm in here, don’t you think?” Damien said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. 

“Yes, yes…erm, how about we go somewhere more romantic?” As he asked the question, Sebastian conjured up a small basket and placed the shortcake inside. Wherever they went, perhaps they could enjoy it there.

Damien smiled. “I know just the place.” 

"Lead the way, then." Sebastian tucked the now-full basket under his left arm, the positively divine scent of gobs and gobs of sugar drifting up to tease his nose.

"With pleasure,” Damien said, giving Sebastian a slight bow and extending his hand outward. Sebastian chuckled, then grasped Damien’s hand without hesitation.

Off they went, to where Sebastian hadn’t the foggiest, but he trusted that Damien knew what he was doing. And if not, well, they’d figure it out. They made a great team, after all. 

A few staircases later, as they ascended toward what Sebastian presumed was the Astronomy Tower, he figured it was the right moment to ask about Damien’s need for space. They should probably get that sorted before diving into anything more…intimate.

“So, erm, space, hm?” Sebastian said, raking a hand through his hair with his free hand.

Damien craned his neck to meet Sebastian’s gaze. “Yes. What of it?” 

“That sounds a bit grim, don’t you think?” 

Damien whipped his head back around, facing away from Sebastian, cleared his throat, then said, “Hardly!”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, though Damien wouldn’t have noticed since he’d decided to face forward once again. What had started as a mild worry now transfigured into full-blown suspicion. “D…” Sebastian began, trailing off when he realized he wasn’t sure what to say.

Damien turned his head, slower this time, as if weighing his options. He studied Sebastian’s face for a moment, then said, “Alright, you caught me. I may have been planning something.” 

Sebastian blinked. “What? Planning something?" 

“A surprise of sorts.”

“For Valentine’s Day? Wait! But I have a surprise for you! I get to go first!” Sebastian shot back, quickly fumbling through his robe pocket for the gift he’d so carefully wrapped. Thankfully, it was still there, but to his great frustration, Damien hadn’t slowed his pace. In fact, he was now bounding up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Wait up, D!” Sebastian called out, scrambling to catch up with his suddenly over-eager Ravenclaw.

Damien didn’t stop—he quickened his pace. “Come on, Bash! Hurry!”

The top of the Astronomy Tower was within sight now. Sebastian sighed, reluctantly shoving his gift back into his robe pocket. He grumbled under his breath but did as he was told, pushing forward to match Damien’s long strides, all the while cursing his slightly shorter legs. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

So that was what Damien meant by needing space. It was a pun. Sebastian’s brain took a moment to catch up, and when it did, he stammered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The Astronomy Tower was glimmering, bathed in the soft glow of fireflies—how Damien managed to bring them in here was beyond Sebastian—which darted haphazardly around the room like shooting stars. Lit candles also lined the floor, flickering in glass jars shaped like moons and planets. At the far end of the room, beside the window, a telescope was set up, aimed at the clear night sky. 

Sebastian blinked. “You did all this?”

“Well, I had some help. All the boys pitched in, actually.” Damien tugged at his bun and toed at the floor with his boot. “Erm, Alvin has the room in an hour. He’s stopping by with Matty. And then Freddie’s bringing Ellie. At midnight, if I recall correctly.”

Sebastian laughed. “A communal Valentine’s Day gift then?”

“I suppose,” Damien said, his cheeks flushing slightly. “But it was my idea. And mostly for you.” 

“Why?” 

Damien let loose a nervous chuckle. “Well, I thought you deserved a better memory of Astronomy. I thought this might help a bit. Erm, possibly. Was I wrong?”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his disastrous Astronomy performance from two years before flooding his mind. But he didn’t think Damien was referring to that. Damien was referring to another night, one that had ruined his love for the subject entirely: the night Anne had been cursed while they were working on a star chart for Professor Shah’s class. He remembered how they’d been focused on the assignment, staring up at the stars, only for Anne to spot the fire in the distance and rush off to help. If they hadn’t been outside, if Sebastian hadn’t put off working on the assignment until the very last minute... If, if, if.

Anyway, Astronomy had lost its appeal after that. But here Damien was, trying to turn that around, creating a space, literally and figuratively, for him to reconnect with it.

Sebastian let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “You’re... not wrong. This might actually help.”

“Good.” Damien gestured at a picnic blanket he’d laid out on the floor. “And how fortuitous that you brought dessert,” he added, settling down and patting the spot beside him. 

Sebastian would never say no to that. But before he acquiesced, he yanked his gift for Damien out of his pocket once again and handed it over.

“What’s this?” Damien said, his eyes wide. 

“My surprise for you.” Damien opened his mouth, likely to respond, but Sebastian cut in before he could get a word in edgewise. “It’s not much,” he said quickly, “and, well, you’ve pretty much outshone me again this year with all this—” he gestured at the starry space before them—“but I thought you might like it.”

Damien carefully unraveled the green ribbon, then popped the lid off the box. He stared, his jaw visibly going slack.

“Do you… do you, erm, like it?” 

“Bash, is this what I think it is?” 

Sebastian’s cheeks grew hot. “Erm, well, yes, I had it specially made. There was a goblin vendor near Hogsmeade that Poppy told me about. He crafts custom items using goblin metal—”

“—You spoke with a goblin?”

“Erm, yes.”

“I thought you still didn’t like goblins very much.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I like them, per se, but obviously, I was mistaken about one of them cursing Anne, and you befriended a goblin… Lodgok, yes?”

Damien nodded; his eyes were now wet.

“Yes, Lodgok,” Sebastian continued. “So, I thought it wouldn’t be all that terrible to talk with one, you know?” Sebastian was rambling. He tried to get back on track. “Anyway, the goblin did a good job. He did good work. I’m glad I hired him.”

Damien held the handcrafted metal bookmark gingerly in his hand, the tips of his fingers tracing it, a look of awe gracing his face. Mimicking Damien’s mother’s wristwatch, which held her initials, Sebastian had the bookmark delicately engraved with Damien’s: D.A.E. 

Damien seemed at a complete loss for words. He smiled, clearly pleased, but he stayed silent. He kept his eyes firmly plastered on the gift. He didn’t look up when he said, “Sebastian, I… this is... perfect. Thank you.”

And then... a solitary tear raced down his cheek.

Wait. What was happening? Sebastian’s heart began to pound in his chest.

“D, are you alright?” He crouched down and brought his hand to Damien’s chin, lifting it up ever so gently. 

Damien laughed through tears. “Alright... alright? Sebastian, this is possibly the greatest Valentine’s Day gift I’ve ever received.” 

“Really?”

“Bash, you win.”

“I… win?”

“Yes, you win for the best gift this year. Everything’s always a competition with you, after all.” 

“I win!” Sebastian said, bursting out into a carefree grin. He felt lighter than air. He’d done it!

Damien nodded, and then, in an entirely unexpected move, he cupped the back of Sebastian’s head and pulled him in for a kiss. It was deep and urgent, stealing Sebastian’s breath away entirely, but he melted into it instantly. 

What had he been so worried about again? Clearly, Sebastian was far better at romance than he’d given himself credit for. 

As Damien withdrew, he murmured against Sebastian’s lips, “You really pulled out all the stops.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I did, didn’t I?” 

But Sebastian wasn’t done. Before Damien could say another word, Sebastian pulled him back in, capturing his lips once more. 

The shortbread could wait until later. Much later, if Sebastian had anything to say about it. And, as the undisputed victor of today’s celebrations, he most certainly did.

[theladyofshalott1989]

"Carpe Diem" (An HCU Winter One-Shot)

Summary: The HCU has returned to Hogwarts after their various holiday escapades. On a snowy day in January, they make up for lost time.

Word Count: 2,187

[ AO3 Link ]

4th January, 1893

// 5 AM //

“Why in Merlin’s ever loving name are we up this early?” Alvin asked Matty through a yawn. 

Matty, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, donned bright red antler ears despite the terrible hour. Naturally, she’d already perched a matching set on Alvin’s unsuspecting head. With a wide grin, she piped back, “Pastries, of course!”

“Right.” 

“They need to be done before everyone wakes up!” 

She was too perky. Too perky and then some. Though Alvin had to admit he found it rather endearing. But he was so tired, darn her!

“Remind me,” he continued. “Why are we baking Christmas pastries in January?”

“Because not all of our friends were here over the holidays, silly!” Matty leapt over to Alvin and dolloped his nose with a touch of flour. She giggled.

“Right.” Alvin waited for her to turn around before bringing his hand to his nose, touching it delicately, smiling, and then scrubbing away the evidence.

Just in time, too, as she swiveled around and said, “Now help me with the dough, please.”

“Anything for you, dear,” came Alvin’s playful reply. 

The day may have started early, but beginning it with Matty made it all worth it. 

// 6 AM //

“Get up! Get up! Get up, Sebastian!”

Sebastian jolted awake, scrambling up in bed with a speed that could rival a Hippogriff soaring over the Black Lake. “Damien! What is it?” he shouted, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest.

“Snow, Sebastian! Snow!”

Sebastian sighed. Ah yes, of course. How could he forget? Damien and snow were practically soulmates. “...And?” he asked, peeling the sheets off of his body. 

He squinted at Damien, who was bouncing up and down near the window. The sunrise streaming through the curtains cast a dull red glow on Damien’s dark blond hair, making him appear as if he’d been dipped in firelight. Thank Merlin Damien’s roommates were still away for the holidays. Otherwise, they’d surely be awake by now, thanks to Damien’s overflowing excitement.

“You promised me we’d make snowmen together!”

“...Now? It’s—” he groped for his pocket watch on the nightstand, squinting at the face before groaning, “6 AM. Can it wait?” 

“No,” Damien said, pouting. 

“Right. Fantastic.” The sarcasm was implied. Damien was lucky he had a pretty face. “But breakfast first. Please .” His stomach growled in agreement. 

Damien beamed back at him, too excited to be put out by Sebastian’s grumpiness. “Yes! Hurry, hurry,” he said, tossing Sebastian’s clothes onto the bed in a messy pile.

“I’m hurrying,” Sebastian grumbled.

It was shaping up to be a very long day indeed. But at least there was food first, and Damien, too, he supposed. Ugh, fine. 

// 7 AM //

“Wheeeeeeee!” Florence’s hair flopped into his face as he sped down the hill, his sled propelled by the hefty push James had given it mere moments before. 

James was surprisingly strong, wasn’t he? Quite impressive, really. 

“Again!” Florence called, catching sight of James at the top of the hill, grinning like he was king of the hill, or maybe just king of Florence’s heart. 

James cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered back, “It’s my turn though!”

“Alright, that’s fair.” Florence doubted James could hear him from this far away, but he leapt to his feet and began the trek back up the hill, his sled bumping along behind him. 

Today was going to be a great day.

// 8 AM //

Jo and Silas had kicked off the day early, determined to make sure everything was perfect. Later this morning, they planned to surprise their friends, all of whom had returned from their various Christmas holidays, with belated gifts—something they’d been scheming for weeks.

Well, perhaps ‘scheming’ wasn’t the best choice of word. It was, after all, a very kind gesture on their part.

Jo smiled, picking up her third gift box of the morning, checking its contents and then beginning the process of wrapping. 

“What’s in that one?” Silas asked, pointing at the present in her lap. As he did, his thigh brushed against hers, and Jo’s cheeks instantly flushed.

Stay calm, stay calm, she told herself. It’s just his thigh. Don’t panic.

“Erm, it’s a hat and scarf I knitted myself,” she somehow managed to eke out.

Silas’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you knitted.”

Jo’s gaze dropped to her hands. “Oh, uh, there’s… there’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she mumbled, adding quietly, “but, uh, maybe you’ll find out more… eventually.” 

Smooth, Jo. Very smooth. 

Silas laughed. “You’re adorable, you know that?” 

Jo blinked. “Am I?” 

What was happening?

Silas picked up the closest present from the floor, hopped back onto the sofa, and settled with his back against her chest. Jo’s breath hitched, her heart fluttering. 

“Yes, you are,” he murmured, taking her hand in his and planting a soft, lingering kiss upon it.

Oh my.

If the events of the day thus far were any indication, Jo might just find herself getting used to this. 

// 9 AM //

“Why is it always so dark in here?” Tori muttered to herself as she stepped into the Three Broomsticks. The night before, Poppy had sent her an owl asking to meet here at 9 AM. For what, Tori hadn’t the foggiest idea. Still, Poppy could be trusted… except for that one time with the dragon. But Tori tried not to think about that. 

The inn was unusually quiet at this early hour; Sirona wasn’t even haunting her usual spot at the bar. 

“Surprise!” Poppy cried, popping out from behind a table with a grin. 

Tori placed a hand to her heart, feigning surprise—well, mostly feigning it. It had been a few weeks since she’d last seen Poppy, and in that moment, her beauty completely stole Tori’s breath away. Better to not let that show. 

Poppy smirked. “Happy to see me?”

“That depends,” Tori said, one eyebrow raised. 

“On?”

“Why we’re here.”

“Oh! You haven’t figured it out by now?” 

Tori only just noticed that Poppy was holding something behind her back. She had been too distracted by more important things, like Poppy’s entrancing, deep brown eyes. 

“I bought you something!” Poppy continued, holding out a giant red and green box with a massive ribbon that looked entirely too large.

Tori blanched. “For me? You didn’t have to—”

Poppy cut her off. “Oh, please. You deserve it.” 

Tori looked down at her feet, so she was startled when the present entered her field of vision. Poppy had shoved it into her chest. She grabbed it instinctively, her fingers brushing against Poppy’s for the briefest moment. 

“You’re too good to me,” Tori whispered, glancing down at Poppy shyly. 

Poppy’s eyes met hers. She smiled. “Maybe, but I think you’re worth it.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Tori’s cheek. 

Tori’s heart skipped a beat. She looked forward to finding out what was inside the box, but mostly she was just happy to have her Poppy back on this lovely January day. 

// 10 AM //

Ale was not in a good mood. He glowered at Val and Cal, who were all but wrapped around each other in the corner of the room, whispering and giggling like they were the only ones here.  Meanwhile, Jo and Silas were busy arranging Christmas presents to hand out to the group, their cheerful chatter doing nothing to lift Ale’s sour disposition. 

Damien and Sebastian were at the table with the pastries, which had been baked by Matty and Alvin in the wee hours of the morning, apparently. Damien, as always, was stuffing his face like he hadn’t eaten in days, while Sebastian looked on with a bemused smile. Across the room, Alyn and Ominis sat on a sofa sipping warm hot cocoa. They were laughing, probably at some bit of gossip that Ominis had just divulged. James and Florence were drying off by the door, clearly still buzzing from what seemed to have been a rousing morning in the snow. James's hair was soaking wet, and he shook his head like a wet dog, sending droplets of water flying in all directions, showering Florence in the process. Florence didn’t seem to mind.

The scene was chaotic, but Ale had grown used to it. He hadn’t grown used to seeing Val with Cal. 

And now they were kissing!

“Excuse me! There are other people present!” he growled. 

They kept kissing. It figured. 

Perhaps a change in subject would be amenable.

“Where are Alex and Cassie?” Ale said as Sebastian ambled over in his general direction. 

“No clue,” he replied. “I slept in Damien’s common room last night.” He said it so nonchalantly, like it was the most casual thing in the world. 

Ale hadn’t realized how lonely he was until now. 

“They’re probably still asleep,” Jo said, answering Ale’s question as she handed him his present. “How are you holding up?”

Ale narrowed his eyes. “Fine, thank you.” He didn’t need anyone’s pity. He was a Salvatori. Salvatoris didn’t need anyone. Especially not Valentine Black. 

Oh, Merlin. She was still kissing Cal. 

Today was the absolute worst. 

// 11 AM //

Alex and Cassie had slept in. In fact, they were still asleep. If someone had strolled by the Slytherin common room, they would have heard Alex’s snores through the heavy stone walls of the dungeon. 

They could very well sleep the day away, wrapped in the warmth of their blankets, lost to the world outside. 

// 12 PM //

Ellie and Freddie also appeared to be asleep on a sofa in Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower. They weren’t actually sleeping, though. They were “resting their eyes,” as Freddie put it.

Ellie, however, seemed to think that Freddie had an ulterior motive behind this so-called “rest.” It was only noon after all. Not that she minded. She was rather enjoying having his towhead cradled in her arms. She could feel his heartbeat through her hand, light and fast, like the flutter of butterfly wings. 

She was about to open her eyes when:

“Good morning, Ellie and Freddie!” someone shouted. Their voice was bright and far too cheerful, so it could only be Poppy.

Ellie tensed and her eyes burst open. Freddie startled to attention as well. They sprang to their feet in unison, caught in the act. No one yet knew they were together. Well, that was about to change. 

“Isn’t it afternoon?” Freddie said, ruffling his hair. 

“You’re right,” Tori said, looking at them apologetically. She was holding hands with Poppy. “Let’s leave them be, Poppy.”

“Oh!” Poppy’s face turned bright pink. “Right, yes. We’ll go.” 

“There’s no need…” Ellie began, but the two of them had already headed out the massive oak doors. 

Freddie let out a long sigh. “Well, it looks like we have some explaining to do.” 

“Later,” Ellie said, sinking back into the sofa and patting her lap, a silent invitation for Freddie to rejoin her. 

Today, maybe. But not yet.

// 1 PM //

“Oh! It’s just past one!” Alyn exclaimed.

Ominis blinked. Time tended to slip by when he was with Alyn; she had that effect on him. It was a bit unnerving. Welcome, but unnerving. 

They were still lounging on the sofa, lost in conversation, drinks long consumed, when Alex and Cassie made their extremely tardy entrance. 

“Are we late?” Alex said.

Cassie said through a yawn, “Where is everyone?”

“Hello,” Ominis said, waving in the direction of the sound of their voices, “we’re everyone.” 

“Har har,” Alex replied, but he must have been distracted by something because the tone and volume of his voice changed abruptly. He shouted, “Oooo, Cassie, look! Pastries!”

That explained that then. 

Though the pastries had more than likely gone cold by now, the muffled chewing and hum of satisfaction from Alex told Ominis all he needed to know.

Cassie plopped down onto the sofa next to Alyn. “So, what have you two been chatting about?”

“Everything,” Alyn said. There was a mischievous lilt in her tone that Ominis caught easily. “As you’d expect.” 

“Everything, hm?” Ominis raised an eyebrow. “I’m not so sure about that, but I do appreciate the vote of confidence in my conversational skills.” 

“Everyone knows you’re the person to come to for all Hogwarts-related gossip.”

“Is that so?” Ominis asked, keeping his tone casual. He knew it, of course, but it was always more fun to play coy when the topic came up. 

Before anyone could respond, Alex’s heavy footsteps came from behind, followed by a squeal, as he, presumably, grabbed Cassie from the sofa. 

Alyn burst into a fit of giggles. “I think that means you have to kiss him, Cass,” she said once she managed to stifle her laughter. 

Ah, Alex must have found some mistletoe, Ominis thought, tilting his head in amusement. 

Cassie said, “I don’t need mistletoe as an excuse to kiss you, my love.”

“Mmph,” Alex replied, the sound smothered as he was likely being kissed. 

Speaking of kissing, one day soon—perhaps even today—Ominis would muster up the courage to kiss Alyn.

You know what? Yes, today was going to be the day. What was that Muggle saying? Ah yes, carpe diem. Seize the day, indeed. 

MCs mentioned:

matty & cal & silas by @girl-named-matty ; freddie by @freddiestheproblemchild ; ellie by @accio-bagel ; tori by @espressoristretto-patronum ; alyn by @ps-cactus ; ale & val by @savingsallow ; jo by @ravenwind-75 ; alex & cassie by @acslytherpuff; florence & jaimsen by @leaping-toadstool-caps ; damien (mine) <3

[theladyofshalott1989]

Sebastian Sallow: Emotional Support Person

I was bored, so I wrote this. 🤣

Synopsis: Three days ago, a letter came in the mail informing you that a fictional character has been assigned to you as your Emotional Support Person. The catch? It's the last Hogwarts Legacy character whose POV you wrote in. Good luck. 🫡

Word Count: 805

"Do get up, Corinne! The sound coming from that device of yours is positively horrific."

I groaned, tossing the duvet back over my head to block out both the light and the fictional, very freckled boy looming over my bed.

It was Day Three of Sebastian Sallow as my so-called Emotional Support Person, and I was not doing well.

A hand - far too real for someone who shouldn't exist - gripped the duvet and yanked.

"Hey!" I yelped, clutching the edge in a losing battle. "You can't just do that! What if I was naked? That's very uncool."

"You're not naked." He was, in fact, correct. "You go to bed in Christmas-themed Slytherin pyjamas." Also, very correct. "You think I don't know this by now?"

"Whatever," I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I draped my legs over the side of the bed.

I spared a glance at my husband, who was now very much awake. He yawned, shrugged, as if to say, "What can you do? He's a teenage boy," then rolled onto his side, grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and started scrolling like none of this was even remotely strange.

I couldn't blame him. He'd been pretending Sebastian wasn't following me around like an exceptionally annoying younger sibling with no sense of boundaries since yesterday and, honestly, I was a little envious. I'd tried the same tactic, but Sebastian had retaliated by belting out the Hogwarts school song at full volume, a move that had me contemplating calling the police. So apparently, the silent treatment was not an option.

"I'm up now. Happy?" I said, shutting out his mumbled, "Finally," as I shuffled over to my dresser, grabbed some clothes, then threw them all on in the bathroom with the door firmly closed and locked behind me.

I yelled loud enough to be heard, "If you want to be useful, go wake up The Child™."

The Child™ being my four-year-old daughter. My four-year-old daughter who loved Sebastian. Naturally. To be fair, this was definitely my fault, as she'd grown up hearing all my stories about Sebastian and Damien. Only the safe-for-work bits. I'm not that terrible of a mother.

Surprisingly, Sebastian seemed to like her too. Not that I ever left him alone with her. Because… well, he'd done some highly questionable things. He was dangerous, blah blah blah. And we couldn't have that.

All dressed and at least somewhat presentable for the day, I wandered back over to my husband, planted a kiss on his forehead, then stepped out of our bedroom with a sigh.

"Mommy, look! A snake!"

Oh, a snake, yes. That made perfect sense...

Wait. Shit. No, it absolutely did not.

I raced into her room, only to, thankfully, sigh with relief. Sebastian had conjured my daughter a stuffed snake. Not a real one. She was currently hugging it to her chest as he stood above her, a cheeky smirk on his face.

"Because she didn't have enough stuffed animals already?" I asked, sweeping my arms out wide, indicating the army of toys littering the floor of her room.

"She didn't have a snake though!"

I wandered over to the toy box to my right and lifted the lid, drawing out not one, not two, but three stuffed snakes.

"She's a self-proclaimed Slytherin, Bash. Of course she has snakes."

"Ah, my mistake."

I rolled my eyes. Yes, again. What was I going to do with this insufferable boy?

Meanwhile, my daughter had shut off her rain sound device and promptly turned off the light as she toddled out of the room, leaving Sebastian and me blinking at each other in the dark.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I presume that means she's ready for breakfast?"

"Yup!" I called over my shoulder as I exited the bedroom.

Hmm, would today be a waffles or a muffins kind of day?

Sebastian's voice sliced through my line of thought. "If I may make a request for breakfast..."

"You may not."

"Fine."

A beat.

"Yes?" I asked, already regretting it.

"Well, I know you already said no, but I could really go for a full English breakfast. Eggs, bacon, the works. I'd even settle for beans if you're feeling generous."

I glowered at him, blinking slowly, hoping he might vanish if I stared hard enough. No such luck. He was still standing there, looking far too pleased with himself.

So, it was going to be like that then. A battle of the wills. Two could play that game, even though it was far too early for this nonsense.

I glowered some more.

"You'd starve me?" he finally said.

I sighed dramatically. "You can have waffles or muffins, like the rest of us Americans."

Sebastian frowned. "If I perish, tell Ominis it was the muffins."

God, today was going to be a long day.

[theladyofshalott1989]

"I Have Often Dreamed"

Damien Evans as Hercules

[ Read Ch. 2 of my HL / Hercules AU fic ]

"Just like that, Damien’s journey to godhood—his quest to become a true wizard, whatever that meant—began. And, if he had anything to say about it, whatever he needed to do to join his family, to become a god once more, he would go any distance."

[theladyofshalott1989]

Because Sebastian and Damien's first kiss apparently needed 1k+ more words... 😅

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You came looking... for me?"

"Yes," Damien replied simply.

"Why? Aren't you cross with me?"

"No," Damien answered, shaking his head. "Why would I be?"

Sebastian blinked, completely thrown off by Damien's response. "I... used an Unforgivable Curse on you," he croaked. It physically pained him to say the words aloud.

Damien shrugged. He shrugged! "If you hadn't, we'd still be stuck there right now."

Sebastian opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. "Yes, but..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right thing to say.

"I'm not mad, honestly."

Not mad? Sebastian blinked, again, utterly baffled. Was this some sort of dream? He had to be imagining this. He even almost pinched himself to make sure.

"You might not be," Sebastian said skeptically, "but there must be something I can do to make it up to you."

Damien rose up from the floor. His golden-brown eyes flashed, then he blurted out, "You could kiss me."

Sebastian froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. This had to be a dream. It was the only explanation. "Kiss you?" he repeated, still trying to process Damien's words. A dream, surely. 

Damien glanced down at his feet. He toed at the ground with the tip of his shoe. "Mhm," he said. 

"You're... joking. You're joking, right?" Sebastian's voice wavered slightly.

Damien was still staring at his feet, but he muttered, "No, I'm serious."

Oh.

Oh. 

Well, since this was a dream, and a very good one at that, Sebastian figured he might as well take advantage of it. 

"Alright then," Sebastian murmured, and before he could talk himself out of it, he lunged forward, hands reaching for the back of Damien's head - no finesse at all, just deep urgency - and their lips collided in a surge of heat. Sebastian's heart skipped a beat at the sensation of Damien's mouth under his. The kiss was hungry, desperate even.

Sebastian's fingers tangled in Damien's hair, tugging him closer, their bodies pressed together in a way that made his head spin. The feeling of Damien's warmth against him was absolutely intoxicating. Damien smelled like fresh, uncut grass and the delicate aroma emanating from the pages of an old book. But there was something else lurking beneath the surface, a hint of excitement and the thrill of the unknown, as if he carried the essence of adventure itself in his very being.

This was a dream, surely. And yet... when had Sebastian ever felt so alive? Every touch, every breath, every lingering second felt more real than anything he'd ever experienced. His pulse spiked, not with panic, but with an exhilarating rush of... possibility. 

And that's when Sebastian realized, this wasn't a dream. It wasn't. This was real.

This was... real?

This was happening?

This was happening!

And everything suddenly fell into place. The wink, the hand-holding, Damien's knowing smiles, their banter... how had Sebastian been so blind? Damien had been giving him signs all along! 

As the kiss finally broke, Sebastian's eyes fluttered open to find Damien's golden-brown ones staring back at him, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Thanks for that," Damien said with a grin.

[theladyofshalott1989]

Smitten 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 🫶

Sebastian Sallow & Damien Evans

Sebastian shook his head as he stood up to greet Damien. Stepping forward slightly, he tapped his cheek, awaiting his good morning peck. Damien acquiesced. Sebastian smiled. “And?” Sebastian asked.

“Oh!” Damien said, returning Sebastian’s smile with an infectious grin of his own. “Happy birthday, Bash.” He gave him a second peck on the cheek for good measure.

“Have a bit of discretion!” a voice yelled from the Gryffindor table. Sebastian whipped his head around to find Garreth grinning back at him cheekily.

“You’re one to talk, Weasley,” Sebastian retorted. “I saw you in the library yesterday with Nerida. You two are on quite familiar terms now, aren’t you?”

Damien shoved Sebastian lightly, perhaps to get him to lower his voice, to make himself less conspicuous. If only Damien knew what was about to happen.

Excerpt from Ch. 4 ("Happier Times") of the third long fic in the Like Moths to a Flame (Or, the Redemption Arc of Sebastian Sallow) Series

[ You Cannot Put a Fire Out ]

Final chapter coming Friday, 31st January, 2025!

[theladyofshalott1989]

"Girls' Night Out" (An HCU One-Shot)

Summary: Matty has organized a Girls' Night Out, and, as an honorary "girlie," Damien, of course, received an invitation. When Sebastian finds out he's been left off the guest list ("NO SEBASTIANS ALLOWED!"), Damien and Sebastian devise a clever plan to sneak him in. Because, well, that's just what they do.

Word Count: 1,521

Matty had invited all the seventh-year girls to what she called a “Girls’ Night Out,” scheduled for a month and a few days from now. With everyone deep in their studies for their impending NEWTs, Damien figured Matty thought it would be the perfect way to offer them a much-needed break. Matty was usually right. Damien was included in the invite, of course, because he was an honorary “girlie,” at least according to Matty’s invitation, which was immaculate and beautifully designed—typical of her, really. Damien had always considered Matty practically perfect in every way. Alvin must have thought so too—or at least Damien hoped—considering the two had been inseparable for the past few months. He made a mental note to check in with Alvin, maybe even nudge him to do something romantic for her every now and then, just to be sure. Damien always looked out for his girl friends. 

“What’s this?” Sebastian plucked the invitation from Damien’s outstretched hand. 

“That’s mine!” Damien lunged forward to grab the parchment back but Sebastian darted to the side, laughing. He sprinted to the far end of the Undercroft, Damien on his tail, holding the paper out of reach as his eyes quickly scanned its contents.

“No Sebastians allowed,” he muttered under his breath. “No Sebastians allowed?” The second time was much louder. Damien even had to clap his hands over his ears.

“What did you expect, Bash? You’re not a girl!”

“Neither are you, unless you’ve somehow managed to hide that from me for the past two years.” He raised an unruly eyebrow. “Not that I would mind…” he added, trailing off, likely lost in thought, imagining just what that might entail. 

Damien, who had stomped back to Sebastian’s side, snatched the parchment from Sebastian’s hands with a flourish. He huffed prettily, batting his eyelashes. “You wish.”

Sebastian blinked, visibly thrown, and swallowed like he was trying to regain his composure. 

A triumphant chuckle slipped from Damien’s lips. He loved these moments—when he could rattle Sebastian just enough to steal an unguarded reaction.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “So, how are you going to disguise me so I can join in on the festivities?” How, indeed. 

“Is anyone hungry?” Tori asked, pulling an entire pastry out of her robe pocket. 

“Always!” Damien said. He swiped the offered pastry from her hand and promptly stuffed the entire thing in his mouth. “Thanks, Tori,” he mumbled through a mouthful, grinning cheekily as he chewed.

Natty, standing beside him, didn’t seem the least bit fazed by his lack of manners. Damien gave Natty a side-long glance, narrowing his eyes. 

She quickly corrected herself. “Damien! Manners!” Hopefully her delayed reaction wasn’t too suspicious. 

Because Natty, obviously, wasn’t herself. Because Natty was Sebastian. 

Luckily, Sebastian and Damien had just enough time to brew a Polyjuice Potion before the big event. Getting a hair from Natty had been easy enough, since Damien shared half his classes with her, and—naturally—Damien and Natty were best friends. Unfortunately, Damien wasn’t the sneakiest of lads, and she’d caught on to his plan almost immediately. After a hurried explanation and a bit of his trademark persuasion, Natty gave him permission since she couldn’t attend Girls’ Night Out herself. Provided, of course, that Damien promised to fill her in on every detail later. He readily agreed.

“I miss Alvin,” Matty said next, startling Damien out of his rumination. 

“You literally just said goodbye to him,” Cassie said, scowling. “Anyway, you were the one that made this a girls-only event.” 

Matty sighed. “I know, I know. Don’t you miss Alex?” Cassie shrugged. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Right, Damien?” She winked.

“Right,” Damien agreed, not looking her in the eye. Natty-Sebastian clapped a hand to her mouth, failing to stifle a laugh.

Cassie, thankfully, didn’t pay Natty’s slip up any mind. “Anyway,” she continued, “Alex and I had an argument this morning and I needed a break from him.” “Oh no, Cassie!” Jo chimed in, grabbing Cassie’s arm and linking it with her own. “I’m sure everything will be fine. What did you argue about?”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “He won’t stop haggling when we shop together. He insists on trying to negotiate everything!”

Jo snorted. 

“How industrious of him,” Natty-Sebastian piped in from beside Damien. “I’d consider that a good thing, wouldn’t you, Damien?” 

Damien mumbled something non-committal, trying to steer Sebastian away from drawing attention to himself, then quickly changed the subject. “So! Val!” He clapped his hands together. “How are you and Cal doing? Still completely head over heels for each other?”

Val, leading the pack, her round glasses catching the soft glow of the purple-pink sunset ahead, swiveled around. “Yes, of course!” she squeaked. 

Well, that was certainly suspicious. Damien sighed. “Is everyone fighting with their significant other?” 

“Not me!” Matty said from behind him. Damien should have amended his question. Matty and Alvin never argued. 

“And you’re not fighting with Sebastian,” Natty-Sebastian said. “At least not that I’m aware of,” she added, smirking. Natty never smirked. Everyone stopped walking to stare. Tori’s jaw dropped. 

“Natty,” Ellie and Alyn said in unison, “Are you alright?” They didn’t wait for her to respond, exchanging a surprised glance when they realized they’d asked the same question at the exact same moment.

Natty-Sebastian schooled her expression. “Oh, erm, yes. I’m just excited to be here with you all. It’s usually just me and Damien. Or, erm, me, off on my own exploring.”

“We’re so happy to have you here!” Jo exclaimed, an exuberant smile gracing her beautiful face. She released her arm from Cassie, and embraced Natty-Sebastian. Natty-Sebastian tensed. Ellie, ever observant, noticed. “Why so tense, Natty?” she asked, raising a perfectly contoured eyebrow.

“Erm, uh,” Natty-Sebastian glanced at Damien, floundering, “no reason?”

Damien brought a hand to his forehead. “That’s on me, everyone,” he said, scrambling to come up with an excuse. “Natty and I were playing Summoner’s Court all day because Professor Ronen challenged me to a match next week. I needed practice. She’s just sore. That’s all.”

All the girls nodded.

“How kind of you, Natty,” Alyn said, patting Natty-Sebastian on the shoulder gently. 

Everyone resumed walking and broke back out into scattered conversation. 

Phew, that was a close call. Damien was grateful he could see the Three Broomsticks slightly ahead. Once they all had some Butterbeer in them, he hoped that it would be easier to keep Sebastian’s presence under wraps. 

Boy, oh boy, was Damien mistaken. 

It turned out the boys had decided to drown their uninvited woes at Sirona’s fine establishment. So, what Matty had originally intended to be a girls-only night quickly turned into a gathering for everyone after all.

“Another!” Jaimsen shouted, slamming his empty glass on the counter.

“Another!” Natty-Sebastian echoed, mimicking his motion—but more clumsily. In her enthusiasm, Natty-Sebastian sent her glass tumbling to the floor. A loud crash followed. 

Sirona shouted, “Watch it!” from across the counter as she served another customer. Natty-Sebastian dropped down, picking her glass back up with a sheepish look on her face. She was very obviously drunk. 

Damien groaned and dropped his head into his hands. 

Alyn, who was sitting to his left, laughed. “Are you sure Natty’s alright?”

Ellie tugged at a stray strand of hair as she nodded. “She’s sure acting more…uninhibited than usual.”

“Perhaps she’s been working herself too hard,” Damien tried. “We’re all studying tirelessly, after all.”

“Not me!” Cal interrupted, raking a hand through his hair with his usual cavalier charm, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Not you,” Ale agreed from further down the counter. “Obviously not you,” he spat out, then took another chug of Butterbeer. 

“Whoa, what’s with the attitude?” Natty-Sebastian said, alighting at Damien’s side, holding yet another full glass of Butterbeer. “How many have you had?” Damien said, holding back a long-suffering sigh.

“That’s for me to know and you to…uh…not know,” Natty-Sebastian replied. 

The group had gone totally silent. You could hear a pin drop.

“Something’s not right,” Theo said from beside Tori. Tori abruptly stopped sorting a pile of sweets she had on the counter in front of her. 

“I agree,” she added. “Natty, were you experimenting with any new potions today? One time Poppy accidentally inhaled a drop of Amortentia in class and acted besotted with me all day.”

Florence, who had kept to himself most of the night thus far, laughed. “Poppy’s always besotted with you, Tori. What’s new?” 

Jaimsen gave Florence a high-five, then pecked him—rather adorably—on the cheek. “Oh, are we kissing now?” Natty-Sebastian suddenly said. Then, before Damien could get a word in edgewise, launched herself forward and planted a big, wet kiss on Damien’s lips. 

Damien recoiled, shouting out and tumbling backward off of his stool.

The entire group erupted in shouts of shock and disbelief. Jo, wide-eyed, even yelled, “Merlin’s arse!” which was extremely uncharacteristic of her.

“Oops,” Natty-Sebastian muttered under her breath, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Damien glared up at her from the floor.

“Sebastian Sallow!” Damien growled, giving up the act entirely.

“I knew it!” Matty exclaimed, her grin wide and knowing.

Of course she did.

MCs Mentioned:

Damien (and his Sebastian, aka "Bash") are mine 🤭 

Matty, Theo, and Cal @girl-named-matty

Tori @espressoristretto-patronum

Cassie, Alvin and Alex @acslytherpuff

Jo @ravenwind-75

Val and Ale @savingsallow

Ellie @accio-bagel

Alyn @ps-cactus

Jaimsen and Florence @leaping-toadstool-caps

Thank you to everyone for allowing me to borrow their MCs. This was a blast to write! :)

[theladyofshalott1989]

"We're All Mad Here"

Sebastian Sallow x Male MC (Damien Evans) One-Shot

Summary: In Sebastian Sallow’s estimation, every partnership, whether platonic, or, in this case, romantic, calls for a little madness. It keeps things interesting. 

Word count: 878

[ AO3 link ]

Written for the March Madness SFW 2025 event in the Our Hogwarts Legacy server on Discord. :)

This was madness. Fortunately, Sebastian was quite familiar with the concept. And, if he was being totally honest, he rather enjoyed it. 

Damien knew him far too well. 

While Damien had returned the ancient magic he had originally taken from the repository—oh, about a year and a half ago now—he still retained his unusual abilities, albeit not as strong as before.  

Still, Sebastian positively adored seeing his partner in action. 

So, the dueling arena it was. 

Sebastian and Damien had chosen the North Ford Bog arena for today’s romantic outing, because really, what was romance without a touch of danger? 

It wasn’t Sebastian’s favorite of the three locations, but it was the least demanding, and given that Damien was still recovering from a mild cold, it only made sense. So, here they were.

“Bombarda!” Damien shouted, just in time to save Sebastian from what would have been a painfully unpleasant lick from a Dugbog. Their tongues stung rather terribly, after all. 

In fact, Sebastian should probably be paying better attention. But how could he, when Damien’s golden blond hair hung in loose waves over his broad shoulders, catching the afternoon light in a way that was downright sinful? Then there was the delightful flush painting the apples of his cheeks a warm pink, and—Merlin help him—the plump curve of Damien’s arse in those obscenely tight trousers. A teasing flash of lightly tanned skin peeked out whenever he moved, a reminder of just how well Damien had grown into himself by their seventh year at Hogwarts. 

“Sebastian! Watch out!”

Shit.

Sebastian fumbled with his wand, but it turned out he didn’t need it as Damien came to his rescue once again. This time, from an Acromantula. One of the smaller ones. 

“What is with you today?” Damien said, effortlessly dodging and incapacitating two Ashwinders. 

Sebastian had questioned Damien more than once about how the Ashwinders always seemed to know exactly when and where to find them, but Damien only ever shrugged. Sebastian would find out one of these days. 

Damien shot him a pointed look. “Are you going to help at all?”

“Am I not allowed to admire the love of my life?”

“Not when we’re fighting for our lives!” 

“It’s only the first round,” Sebastian said through a laugh.

Damien groaned. “You really haven’t been paying attention, have you? We’re in the third round.”

Sebastian blinked. “Really? But there’s usually a troll.”

A troll materialized out of thin air. Speak of the devil. 

Damien threw his arms out wide, gesturing at it. “There!”

“I see it now,” Sebastian scoffed. “Really, D? It’s a troll. I’m not blind.”

“Just checking.”

The troll roared and lumbered towards them.

Hmm, Confringo or Incendio? Hah! What a ridiculous question. Confringo, obviously. Confringo, always. 

“Confringo!” Damn, Damien beat him to it.

“Hey now!” Sebastian said. “It was my turn.”

“Too slow.” Damien smirked, did a barrel roll, pecked Sebastian on the cheek, then barrel-rolled away again.

“Not fair! You could have at least kissed me on the lips.”

“I’m still sick.” Damien coughed into his hand, but Sebastian was quite certain it was just for dramatic effect.

“You know I don’t care about that. Besides, we shared a sandwich less than an hour—” Sebastian paused to lift the troll’s club with a well-practiced Levioso, allowing Damien to finish it off with an ancient magic blow. 

He continued: “As I was saying, less than an hour ago.” Sebastian glanced around. “Is it done? Was that it?” 

Damien let out a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, Sebastian, that was it.”

“All in a day’s work.” Sebastian slipped his wand back into his robe pocket and rubbed his hands together in mock satisfaction. 

Damien rolled his eyes. “Oh yes. Because you did so much.”

Sebastian clicked his tongue. “Hold on now, my darling D. Let’s not forget who follows you around on all of your adventures, providing some much-needed assistance. Where would you be without the illustrious Sebastian Sallow?” He bowed prettily. 

“I’d probably be Head Boy.” 

Fair point, that. Sebastian did have a knack for getting Damien into a fair bit of trouble. Not that Sebastian would ever admit it out loud.

Instead, he said, “Head Boy, hm? Sounds rather dull.”

“Is that so?” Damien raised an eyebrow.

Sebastian tossed him a sly grin. “Of course. A dash of trouble and a little madness is far too much fun to let pass you by.”

“If you say so.”

“I do,” Sebastian replied, his grin widening. “Anyway, life’s short, so why not embrace a bit of chaos now and then?”

“Not like I have much of a choice with you around.”

Sebastian was going to take that as a compliment. “See? You get it.”

Damien chuckled. “Just trying to keep up with my hot-headed dueling partner.”

“Oh, you’re doing more than keeping up, love. You’re matching me.”

“Flattery, now? Is this part of the madness, or are you just trying to get me to lower my guard?”

“Maybe a bit of both,” Sebastian said, huffing out a laugh. “Madness is far more fun when you’ve got someone to share it with.”

Sebastian punctuated his point by clasping Damien by the shoulders and pulling him into a kiss: fierce, unpolished, and entirely mad.

As it should be.

[theladyofshalott1989]

"Goldenboy Seems Sus"

Sebastian Sallow as Megara and Damien Evans as Hercules

[ Read Ch. 3 of my Hercules AU fic ]

‘Well, thanks for everything, D. It’s been a real pleasure.’ His voice dripped with sarcasm as he saluted, then resumed his earlier hasty departure.

‘Wait! Please!’ Damien called out one final time. He figured he probably sounded quite pathetic, but he couldn’t help it. There was just something about this Sebastian fellow. ‘Can we, uh, give you a ride?’ he asked, gesturing at Highwing, who huffed indignantly, sensing Fig’s wariness of the young man. 

‘Erm, I don’t think your hippogriff likes me very much.’

‘Highwing? Oh, no, don’t be silly. She’d be more than happy to—’ Highwing shoved him with her wing. ‘Ow!’

‘I’ll be alright,’ Sebastian said. ‘I’m a big, tough guy. A former Crossed Wands champion, in fact. And, I can tie my own tie and everything. Bye bye, Goldenboy.’ He swiveled around, and, finally, made a swift exit.”

[theladyofshalott1989]

A Day in London 💂🏼

An Aurélie Collins & Damien Evans One-Shot

Synopsis: Best friends from separate universes, Damien and Aurélie, reunite for a shopping trip in Muggle London. As always, shenanigans ensue.

Or, you thought two Sebastians were trouble? Try two Main Characters.

Word Count: 1,573

Author's Note: I (finally) wrote this little one-shot after finishing (and, obviously, freaking loving!) @morelikeravenbore's delicious (*chef's kiss*) fic, "How to Make a Villain." If you haven't read it, DO IT . (*insert Shia LaBeouf 'DO IT!' gif here* 🤣)

“And then he left a heap of freshly laundered trousers—ones I’d just washed, mind you—on my side of the bed! Mon dieu! Can you believe it, Damien?” Aurélie exclaimed, looping her arm through Damien’s as they strolled down Bond Street, the closest shopping district to his father’s estate in Mayfair, on a crisp spring morning. 

Damien chuckled under his breath. “I don’t have that problem with my Sebastian.” He might have elaborated, but, truth be told, he hesitated to admit to his old school friend from another universe that in his own household, he was the untidy one. 

Luckily, Aurélie prattled on before he could betray himself. “Shall we trade Sebastians? Just for a short while, of course. Yours is far shorter than mine. I doubt I could endure that for long.”

“Don’t let Bash hear you say that,” Damien said through yet another laugh. “He might challenge you to a duel.” 

Aurélie burst into an endearing fit of giggles. She had always been lovely, but Damien much preferred to see her smiling, and, fortunately, she seemed to smile often in his company, just as he did in hers. 

The two of them not only got along quite splendidly, but they also had a host of common interests. Case in point: today’s little shopping excursion.

It had been nearly two years since he’d last seen Aurélie, since she and her Sebastian had married after graduation and left for France. But now she had returned to England temporarily for business, or so she said. Damien didn’t press her on work too much, as he could sense that whatever she did for a living—she kept suspiciously quiet about it—was rather more taxing than she let on. 

“Oh! Damien, look—shoes!” And just like that, she was off, Damien trailing happily behind, as he, too, simply adored shoes. Perhaps not the heels Aurélie was currently ogling (where in Merlin’s name would he wear them?), but his collection of boots and dress shoes was nothing short of enviable. Sebastian, who wore a smaller shoe size than Damien, had once even attempted to use the Growth Charm on his feet just to try on a pair. Alas, that experiment had gone terribly awry, leaving Sebastian with a club foot for an entire week. Suffice it to say, he wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

Damien checked his wristwatch, surprised to find it nearing noon already. Time always seemed to slip away in Aurélie’s delightful company.

“Fancy some lunch, Aura?” he called out, pulling her gently out of her shoe-induced reverie. 

Her head popped up from behind a shelf. “Lunch? Yes! Where were you thinking? I’m not particular.” 

Damien wracked his brain for some potential options, until he suddenly recalled an earlier promise he’d made to his father: to fetch some papers from his father’s office before lunch. 

“Aura, I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve just remembered I need to run an errand for my father. I can get it done relatively quickly—his office is just across the street—but I’ll also need to pop by the estate before we eat.” He studied Aurélie’s face. She didn’t seem too put-out, so he tried, “Can you wait a bit longer? There’s a gorgeous tea room I frequented often as a boy where we could have a bite.” 

“Lovely, lovely. I’ll just wait here while you get it done. Don’t forget me before heading back to your father’s estate,” she said teasingly, before her head disappeared behind the shelf of shoes once more.

Leave it to Aurélie to be so amenable. Damien thanked his lucky stars that neither Sebastian was with them. Had they been, he suspected they would have been positively famished and whinging the entire time. But they weren’t, so Damien slipped out the door, the faint chime of a bell marking his exit, and set off to do his father’s bidding. 

The massive metal gate groaned open, revealing the Evans estate in all its grandeur. It was a familiar sight to Damien, having spent his formative years here, but Aura’s eyes went wide upon seeing his father’s ostentatious residence. 

Damien hated this house. Despised it, really. Far too much for words to express properly. So many terrible things had happened here. But he supposed he couldn’t fault Aurélie for her awestruck expression. She didn’t know its history.

“I always knew you were wealthy, but this is…” She trailed off, raising a perfectly contoured eyebrow. “You’ve met Queen Victoria, haven’t you?”

Damien would have laughed if he wasn’t dreading having to potentially introduce Aurélie to his father. Perhaps he could tuck her away in one of the estate’s many rooms and avoid the confrontation entirely. Hmm, yes, that might be his best option…

“Damien?” 

“My apologies,” he said with a sigh. “It’s just… my father’s usually quite unbothered about me as a general rule, but when it comes to my love life, or, more accurately, my complete avoidance of the topic around him, he has a way of turning it into a sport, constantly hounding me about it.”

“You’ve never brought a woman home before,” Aurélie said, catching on as quickly as Damien expected. She, too, had been a Ravenclaw, after all. 

“Correct.” He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid this could get… awkward. For the both of us.” 

“Damien?” Speak of the devil. Why had his father, of all people, opened the front door? Where was Florence, his maid? 

“Hello, Father,” Damien stammered, feeling a sheen of sweat already forming on his brow. Blast! This did not bode well. 

His father halted mid-stride through the grand doors. “And who might you be?” he said, towering above Aurélie’s petite form. 

Aurélie curtsied prettily. “Aurélie…” She stopped abruptly, locked eyes with Damien, a panicked expression crossing her face, coughed, then said, “Smith.” 

Damien nearly burst into a shocked laugh. Why hadn’t Aurélie just used her maiden name? Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought her with him. Ah well, too late now.

“Miss Smith, hm?” his father said, inspecting her up and down with narrowed eyes. He adjusted his spectacles on the bridge of his nose. “Where is your chaperone?”

Aurélie’s eyes widened, wider than Damien had seen all day. “My, erm, chaperone? Ah, ah… erm, well…”

Damien had to say something. He held out a hand, indicating Aurélie could stop hemming and hawing. “We’re not courting, Father. She’s just a friend.”

“Yes!” Aurélie cut in. “Yes, from school!”

Blast, blast, blast! Damien thought he’d told Aurélie he attended an all boys’ boarding school before Hogwarts, and that his father thought he attended it for far longer than he actually did, but apparently not.

“Oh, is that so?” his father, surprisingly, said. Why was he playing along?

Damien backtracked. “What Aurélie meant to say is that she’s the sister of one of my friends from Eton. Do you remember Sebastian?” 

Ah, there we go. Damien’s shoulders loosened fractionally. He could still remedy this. 

“Sebastian,” his father said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Sebastian,” he repeated. “Ah, you mean that wisp of a boy who spent the summer with us a few years back? The short one with the freckles that followed you around all summer like a lost puppy? That one?” 

Aurélie clapped a hand to her mouth. Damien shot her a not-so-subtle glare. 

“Yes, that Sebastian, Father. Correct.” Once again, Damien was ever so glad Sebastian wasn’t here to hear that glowing endorsement of his illustrious self from Damien’s horrible father.

“You two are siblings?” His father didn’t sound convinced. 

“Yes, sir,” Aurélie somehow managed to say through a straight face. Well, at least she was recovering nicely. Damien had to hand it to her.

“Ah well, that’s disappointing. Don’t you think Damien should find himself a nice young woman and settle down?” His eyes glistened mischievously. “Damien’s handsome, is he not? Nothing much wrong with him besides his tendency to wear his hair long. On that matter, Damien, you’re looking a bit scruffy, don’t you think?” 

As the last word fell out of his lips, Damien’s father glanced down, spotting the papers in Damien’s hand. “Oh! Wonderful. You brought them. Excellent.” Before Damien could say anything in reply, his father yanked them out of Damien’s now rather clammy grip, whipped around, and shut the door in their faces.

Oh. Well, then. That… could have gone better, but at least it hadn’t been a complete disaster.

“Again,” Damien said, the exasperation in his voice slipping out, “I’m so sorry, Aurélie. I really should have expected that.”

But Aurélie wasn’t listening. She was too busy dissolving into rather unladylike peals of laughter. In fact, her guffaws were so loud and grating, ringing out in sharp, uneven bursts—very uncharacteristic of her delicate self—that a passerby might have thought Damien was actively murdering her. 

“Short!” she wheezed, then, “Wisp of a boy!”—and finally, “Lost puppy!” She wiped at tears that were now streaming down her face. “Damien, I beg you, please never, ever apologize for that. That was glorious. I… I can’t thank you enough. Truly, I owe you one.”

“You’re… welcome?” Damien managed to eke out, weakly. 

“I might even inform your Sebastian about your father’s hilarious remarks, by the way.” 

“Oh, please don’t.”

“Do you think I’d beat him in a duel?”

Damien sighed. “Without question.”

“Marvelous,” Aurélie declared, looping her arm through his once more. “Now, where’s this tea room you promised me? I’m positively famished.”

[ AO3 Link ]