Chapter Text
“And did you hear how Garreth was talking in potions? The pompous bastard really thinks he’s the next potion master. A danger to us all, that’s what he is.”
“Mnn…”
“Sebastian!”
Sebastian looked up from the page he was staring at. He couldn’t say that he was reading it, as no words seemed to enter his mind. He would have blamed the subject, history, but he would usually have a bit of a soft spot for it.
Ominis was facing his direction, pointing the bright tip of his wand at him. Sebastian rubbed the back of his head.
“Sorry,” he apologised.
“Sorry? Sebastian, you haven’t said a word this whole time! I feel like I’ve been talking to a wall. Merlin, if I wasn’t so accustomed to your heavy breathing I would have thought you’d walked off and I had been talking to a wall.”
“You are particularly chatty today,” Sebastian quipped.
“Sebastian,” Ominis warned. Sebastian sighed.
“I’m sorry. I’m just a bit-“
“Distracted?” Ominis asked. Sebastian nodded. Hearing his pause, the frown creasing Ominis’ brow softened. He leaned in a touch, a little closer than he perhaps should have.
“What’s wrong? You’re not yourself,” he asked. The usual sharp whine and hiss of his voice had melted considerably, leaving only a tone of deep concern. Sebastian swallowed.
“It’s Anne. I just… I’m missing her a lot this year.”
Ominis leaned back.
“Anne…” he sighed. They had gone all the way through their fifth year with the hope that she’d get better. Sebastian had torn himself apart, losing countless nights of sleep trying to find a way to cure her. Eventually, over the break, his uncle had made the decision to send her away for treatment. France, as his uncle has insisted, had much better doctors than England. From Anne’s letters, it seemed that things were looking up slightly. She was even receiving tutoring from a professor at Beauxbatons and had been offered a scholarship upon her recovery.
Despite this wonderful news, the trauma of having his sister whisked away to a foreign country had left him with a scar.
It was now winter, well into their sixth year at Hogwarts. The piles of homework that surrounded the two boys in the secluded tower they had picked to study held no regard for any trauma or feelings of melancholy.
“I miss her too,” Ominis said sadly. Anne was like a sister to him as well. He paused, pursing his lips slightly.
“You know what I don’t miss, though?”
“What’s that?” Sebastian asked.
“Being sprayed by those nasty gobstones of hers!”
Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s what you get for always losing to her!”
“In case you have forgotten, I am literally blind. How honourable of you two to pick on the poor blind boy.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
“It’s never stopped you before. I think you’re just a sore loser.”
“And I think you enjoyed watching me be blasted with that nasty gunk!”
“Well I certainly didn’t enjoy smelling you for days after in the boy's dormitory!” he laughed. At this, Ominis laughed with him. He tipped his head back and let out a clear, high laugh. As he did so, the soft sunlight, rare for this time of year, caught the strands of Ominis’ hair, making it look like a dark, golden caramel. Sebastian’s stomach twisted and he swallowed. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to rid himself of the image that really plagued his mind. He had lied.
Anne’s departure had not been the only thing to have happened over the summer. After Anne had been taken off to France, Sebastian was left alone in the small cottage with only his uncle. They argued frequently, Sebastian begging for his sister to come back, and pleading for more time to find a cure. It didn’t work. All hope Sebastian had soon drifted away, leaving him dealing with an empty grief he hadn’t felt for a long time. It would have easily been the worst summer he had had since starting Hogwarts... until an owl came.
Ominis always came to stay during the summer. It was a given that just as Sebastian’s patience with his uncle came to an end, so would Ominis’ with his family. As usual, Ominis arrived with practically all his belongings, ready to stay until the new year started. However, this year, things were different. For the first time, it wasn’t Sebastian, Ominis, and Anne, but rather just the two. Another key difference was that over the month or so that they had not seen each other, Ominis had changed. Sebastian didn’t know how it was possible, but Ominis seemed to have grown at least an inch in their time apart. He had also not only grown in height but also filled out slightly too. No longer did he look like a gangly teen. His limbs now seemed like the right length for his body and his features all fell into place and sat perfectly on his face. And they were good features too. His sharp nose and high cheekbones gave him an air of regality. His jawline was sharp and defined, framing the rest of his face.
Seeing Ominis in Feldcroft that summer, bags in hand, was like seeing him for the first time. Sebastian was taken aback by the boy in front of him. Something pulled inside of him in a way that hadn’t before.
“Sebastian,” Ominis greeted him. He pronounced all four syllables clearly, drawing it out in a way only he did. At the end, he smiled. Sebastian realised something dreadful. Ominis Gaunt was devilishly handsome, and Sebastian noticed it.
It would have been fine. Sebastian could have blown off his newfound attention as nothing. So what if he found Ominis attractive? It was an objective fact that he looked very nice. And so what if he now found most of his thoughts occupied by the boy? They were best friends. Friends thought of other friends. And yes, okay, some of those thoughts were maybe not as friendly as they should have been, but that could be boiled down to his developing mind and body. It was normal for a boy of his age to have the occasional unsavoury thought, even if it was towards a friend. And so what if Sebastian was now acutely aware of every single thing Ominis did and how close he was and… well… Sebastian had no excuse for this.
It would have all been fine until it wasn’t. It was the hottest day they had had all summer, and even as the night fell, the air was still sticky and hot, especially in the cottage. Sebastian stared at the roof from his spot on the floor. He and Ominis had been switching between using his bed or sleeping on the floor. His night clothes clung to his sweaty body, his thick hair slick across his forehead. It was way too hot. Sebastian sat up. Perhaps the air outside would be cooler. As he moved, the body on the bed stirred.
“Sebastian?” Ominis whispered. Again, those four syllables were enunciated clearly.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Sebastian asked.
“No. I couldn’t sleep.”
Sebastian let out a breathy laugh.
“Neither could I. Too-”
“Too hot?” Ominis said at the same time. Sebastian sighed and laughed again.
“I’m positively boiling,” he said. Ominis paused.
“Were you leaving?” he asked. Sebastian bit his lip. Since his sister had been cursed, his uncle forbade him from leaving the cottage at night alone. Usually, Ominis would do whatever he could to stop Sebastian from doing something stupid and putting himself in danger. Ominis noticed Sebastian’s pause.
“Is your uncle asleep?” he asked.
“Of course he is,” Sebastian replied. As if on cue, a loud snore sounded across the room. Ominis laughed slightly. Blankets rustled and he stood.
“Well, let’s go.”
“Go?” Sebastian asked.
“Well, would you rather boil alive in here?” Ominis asked. Sebastian pursed his lips and then stood.
“I didn’t think you would be the type to want to break curfew. Isn’t this too dangerous?” he joked. Ominis sighed.
“Well, I think we are in a lot more danger of dying of heat exhaustion if we stay here. Now let’s go.”
The two stepped out into the village. It was much cooler than inside, but still quite hot. At close to midnight, everyone had retired for the night, leaving the village empty.
“Where to?” Ominis asked.
“You’re the one who said we should leave,” Sebastian replied.
“Yes, but this is
your
village. Where does one go on a night like this?”
Sebastian considered.
“We could… go to the beach?”
“The beach? Isn’t Feldcroft on a cliffside?”
“I know a way down,” Sebastian replied. Ominis considered for a moment.
“Then lead the way,” he said, holding out a hand. Sebastian looked down at it.
“Don’t you have your wand?” he asked.
“Yes, but I don’t know this place. Trying to have it guide me here would be a nightmare. It’s easier this way.”
Sebastian swallowed. He placed his hand under Ominis’, palm up, allowing it to rest on top. Ominis sighed and grasped Sebastian’s hand firmly, lacing his long, boney fingers through Sebastian’s slightly shorter ones. He dropped their hands, letting them rest by their sides.
“Well go on, lead the way,” he said. Sebastian was too busy trying not to feel too flustered over Ominis holding his hand. He shook his head to try and snap out of it. Even when he did, the tingling sensation didn’t pass.
“Sorry, of course.”
They snuck quietly out of the village, not bothering to cast disillusionment. It was late anyway, no one would see them. It took a while, but they finally made it to the cliffside. Sebastian led Ominis along it carefully, paying attention to every step. It wasn’t long until he found the place where the cliff dropped off into a small slope. It was a little tricky and Sebastian worried for Ominis’ safety. He pushed down the odd feeling and pulled Ominis closer to him, holding his hand tighter as they descended. Finally, they both stepped on the white pebbly sand and could breathe again.
“Well, that’s certainly a trek, isn’t it?” Ominis huffed.
“You wanted a beach, didn’t you?”
“Sebastian, you mentioned the beach.”
“I think I would remember wanting to go to the beach.”
“Sebastian,” Ominis sighed.
“Sorry,” Sebastian replied. He finally let go of Ominis’ hand. His palm was sweaty. Ominis faced the water.
“It sounds lovely,” he commented. Sebastian closed his eyes and inhaled. The salty air filled his lungs, filling him with a sort of peace. Ominis crouched down and undid his shoes and stepped out of them. He frowned slightly at the feeling of the rocky beach under his feet, but he still wiggled his toes.
“Hey, Sebastian?”
“What is it?”
“Shall we go for a swim?” Ominis asked. Sebastian frowned.
“I didn’t know you could swim,” he replied.
“An odd assumption for you to make of me. Is it because I am blind? Sebastian, you should know better.”
“Ominis, in all the time I have known you, I have not once seen you swim.”
Ominis looked as though he wished to argue, but he shut his mouth.
“Well, I don’t mean swimming laps. I simply mean going for a quick dip.”
“Ominis, you are forgetting one key point.”
“And what is that, Sebastian?”
“We have no swimming clothes.”
Ominis sighed.
“Well, how about we just… go without?”
“Pardon? Go Without? What do you mean go without?” Sebastian asked. Ominis pursed his lips.
“I mean, there’s no one around, so let’s just put our clothes to the side and go for a dip.”
“Are you suggesting we swim in the nude?” Sebastian asked. His eyes widened.
“Oh come on, Sebastian, it’s certainly not the worst thing you’ve done.”
“On the contrary, I’ve always kept my clothes on in public.”
“There’s a first for everything.”
“And since when are you such a deviant?”
“Since my clothes are positively drenched in sweat and I can feel them sticking to all sorts of uncomfortable places. I can think of nothing better than stripping them off and freshening up in some cool water.”
Ominis made a good point, one that he committed himself to as his fingers fumbled for the front of his cotton shirt.
“This would be easier if you helped me,” Ominis commented. Sebastian swallowed.
“I’m not helping you undress,” he choked out. He barely trusted his voice to work. His heartbeat was already accelerating. It was normal to get nervous about someone being naked in front of you. Except… Ominis was his friend. They had bathed together a few times, especially when they were younger. It shouldn’t be making him react like this.
Ominis finally managed to pull his shirt off and flung it to the side with a huff.
“Well if you won’t help me, you can get undressed too. I promise I won’t look,” he joked. The laugh he let out seemed way too light for the situation.
“Uh, yeah,” Sebastian replied. He couldn’t move. He certainly should have looked away as Ominis rolled down his cotton shorts, but he couldn’t. Sebastian held back from making a noise of shock. Ominis certainly wasn’t the same as he had been back in their third or fourth year. His body, although slim, was solidly built. He wasn’t particularly muscular but he wasn’t as fragile as he had been before. The most developed part of him seemed to be his chest, with light but firm pectorals from years of consistent wand training. Sebastian shouldn’t have let his eyes wander, but they trailed down and caught on the spattering of dark blond hair beneath his hips, leading downward to…
Sebastian ripped his eyes away, closing them tight. No, no, no! He couldn’t be feeling this way about… about his best friend! His face flushed red and Sebastian was relieved that Ominis couldn’t see him. Ominis, however, always knew when something was up.
“Oh come on, Sebastian, don’t tell me you’re embarrassed?” he drawled. Sebastian coughed.
“Of course, I’m not!” he lied.
“Well,” Ominis spoke, “I don’t plan on standing around in the nude. I’ll go in first.”
“Go ahead,” Sebastian choked out. Ominis turned away from him and slowly stepped towards the water. Once he felt the gentle lap of waves tickle his toes he relaxed, walking into the water more confidently. Sebastian, a little scared Ominis may slip and fall, looked up, only to be confronted with the sight of his behind. Sebastian never would have thought an arse to be attractive, but, as if awakened, he suddenly got it. His face grew hot and he tore his eyes away. As a final straw, he felt a sudden strain in the front of his trousers.
Sebastian wanted to die. Instead, he crouched down into a little ball and held his head in his hands. It was at that moment that Sebastian knew he was well and truly screwed. He didn’t know if it was Ominis that had changed or if it was him, but things were different now and there was no going back. Simply put, Sebastian Sallow had a crush. Not only was that crush another boy, (bad, but not entirely life-shattering), that crush was Sebastian’s best friend of many years.
“Sebastian!” Ominis called “Are you coming in or not?”
Sebastian couldn’t look up at him.
“Actually, I think I’ll pass on swimming today,” he replied.
“You would really rather stay on that beach and boil alive?”
“Yes, I would.”
Ominis tutted.
“Suit yourself,” he called. Sebastian listened as Ominis splashed about in the water, not once looking up. With his head in his hands, he tried to calm himself. He was Sebastian damn Sallow, not some giddy schoolboy. He didn’t have time for stupid little crushes. He… He was completely and utterly screwed.